Gameweek 35: Review

Mon 24th March 2025 | Match Reviews | By Jay Cooper

Another weekend, another round of games from all 3 divisions of the NWCFL. Let's run through the best and worst of what the last week has had to offer.

Premier Division:

• Cheadle Town were on the road this past Saturday to Abbey Hey, and scored the first and last goals of the day in their match at the Abbey Stadium, but they unfortunately walked away empty-handed. Simon Heaton’s men put on a show in the second half, scoring three to win 3-2.
• Irlam’s hopes of making the play-offs this season took a serious hit on Saturday as they went away to Charnock Richard’s Mossie Park. Louis Holt, Fenton Davies and Nathan Nickeas twice ensured that the hosts earned maximum points, winning 4-0.
• In a real relegation six-pointer, Colne hosted Prestwich Heys with both teams knowing a win would see them finish the weekend outside the drop zone. Heys fell behind after less than 20 minutes, but they dominated the rest of the first half to take a 3-1 lead, which they would hold onto throughout the second half.
• AFC Liverpool were the winners of the division’s highest scoring match this weekend, overcoming Glossop North End on their travels. Caleb Jones bagged two of his side’s five in an eventual 5-2 victory for Phil Stafford’s men.
• In the day’s late kick-off, FC Isle of Man, who only had the one game this weekend, welcomed South Liverpool to The Bowl. The Ravens kept up their recent run of sharing the points with the teams who visit their turf, with a Charlie Higgins brace cancelling out strikes by Charlie Glennon and Stephen Milne for South. The match ended 2-2.
• FC St Helens tasted victory for the first time this month on Saturday as they travelled to Longridge Town. FC pitched a shutout, with Joseph Barker, Thomas McNamara, Ethan Van-Aston and Liam Cuthbert all bagging to confirm a 4-0 away win.
• Padiham confirmed their place in the Premier Division play-offs for the second season running with their victory on Saturday, as relegation threatened Squires Gate visited the Ruby Civil Arena. Joel Brownhill, Joel Melia and Rio Wilson-Heyes all got on the scoresheet in a 3-1 win for Michael Morrison’s men.

Other scores:

• Burscough 2-1 Litherland REMYCA
• Chadderton 1-1 Barnoldswick Town
• Pilkington 0-2 Bury
• Ramsbottom United 1-0 West Didsbury and Chorlton
• Stockport Town 0-2 Lower Breck

First Division North:

• In a replay of last week’s only First Division North clash between Daisy Hill and AFC Blackpool, the two sides met again at the latter’s Mechanics Ground. Daisy Hill took the chance to narrow the gap between the two teams in the table to a mere point with both hands, smashing their hosts 3-1 thanks to goals by Alexander Dodd, Liam Sheppard and Jake O’Brien.
• Another away team to smash past their hosts on Saturday in the First Division North were Droylsden, who were visiting Ashton Athletic’s Brocstedes Park. Harry Forshaw, Tawab Djankpata, Dan McLaughlin and Caelan Kilheeney all got goals in a 4-0 hammering in Droylsden’s favour.
• Title-chasing Atherton LR finally had the dice roll in their favour this weekend and they welcomed relegated Skelmersdale United to their Crilly Park stadium. Harvey Sample scored two of his side’s three in a shutout for Rovers, with the final score reading 3-0. Atherton have now closed the gap on table-topping Nelson to a point, and they still have one game in hand.
• Speaking of Nelson, they had a weekend to forget at Darwen FC’s Multevo Group Anchor Ground. Bruno de Almeida Severino, Christopher Bailey and Connor Hughes all scored to completely overturn Max Cane’s opener for Nelson, and the game ended 3-1 to Darwen, putting a serious dampener on Nelson’s title aspirations.
• Euxton Villa are all but safe in the final play-off spot in the First Division North, so it wasn’t that much of a crisis when they failed to hold onto a 2-0 lead going into the final 10 minutes against Bacup Borough on Saturday. Oliver Hodgson scored twice in the closing stages to save a 2-2 away draw for Borough.
• Despite the best efforts of Zak Khan, Route One Rovers were unable to aid their attempted great escape from the relegation places on Saturday as they travelled to already-relegated Garstang. Cole Exley scored twice, and Lucas Pinnington scored too the give Guy Heffernan’s men a 3-2 victory over the team directly above them.
• If you only caught the first half of Holker Old Boys’ draw at home against Ashton Town, then you needn’t worry – you got what you came for! Gary Kenny’s opener for Town was cancelled out by Holker’s Tyler Spence, and Christopher Lomax’s reinstation of Town’s lead was snuffed out before the break by Luke Davey in a match that ended 2-2.
• In what was almost definitely the First Division North’s game of the weekend, Steeton met Maine Road at the former’s Marley Stadium. The visitors got comfortable quickly, scoring two in the first 10 minutes, and another two before the break to take a 4-2 lead into half-time. Right towards the end, Steeton’s Joshua Debenham scored to set up a nervy ending, but Road held firm to take home a 4-3 victory.

Other scores:

• Thornton Cleveleys 1-1 Maghull

First Division South:

• The travelling Stockport Georgians fans to Cammell Laird 1907 this Saturday barely had time to get to pitchside before their team took the lead through Oliver McFadyen. Finley Rorke and Joseph Collins added to the scoreline as the match progressed, and Georgians eventually came away with a 3-0 victory.
• Cheadle Heath Nomads kept up their pursuit of a play-off place this Saturday as they faced off with Runcorn Town. Edson Cata and George Colville ensured that Nomads took a 2-0 lead into the break, and, despite conceding in the second half to Thomas Ruffer, they held on for the three points, winning 2-1.
• Like Steeton and Maine Road in the North, Foley Meir hosted the First Division South’s game of the weekend as play-off chasing Eccleshall came to visit. The two sides essentially went blow-for-blow as the game progressed, but Foley were behind the 8-ball from the off and only found themselves clawing back the game rather than leading it. In the end, Eccleshall claimed maximum points, fighting to a 4-3 win.
• Winsford United continue to stride in the right direction towards the title, and they proved themselves just that little bit more worthy on Saturday on the road to Market Drayton Town. They took an early backseat to their hosts when Oliver Jones scored in less than five minutes, but turned the game around, with Steven Jenyons eventually getting the winner in a 2-1 result.
• Ashville’s lead over hosts Sandbach United was a delicate one for the majority of their encounter on Saturday. Bradley Shearwood gave Steven Scott’s side the lead just before the half-hour mark, but they had to wait until the 80^th minute to double it, and then the 86^th to treble it. In the end, they came away from the Sandbach Community Football Centre with a 3-0 victory.

Other scores:

• Allscott Heath 1-1 Stafford Town
• Alsager Town 0-1 Abbey Hulton United
• Wolves Sporting 2-0 Shawbury United