Week 5: Preview

Fri 22nd August 2025 | Match Previews | By Jay Cooper

The Isuzu FA Vase is back! And there's a slice of NWCFL league action as a cherry on the cake! Let's see who's facing whom this weekend.

Friday:

First Division North:

• In one of only two league games this coming weekend, Daisy Hill will host Droylsden under Friday night lights at the Ginge Power Stadium. The hosts are winless so far, whereas the Bloods have yet to play a game they didn’t score in, with two wins from four to their name.

Saturday:

Isuzu FA Vase, First Qualifying Round:

• It’s that time again! Getting the early kick-off for this weekend’s FA Vase action will be Prem league leaders Padiham, hosting Sunderland RCA at 12:15pm.
• Turning to the 3pm kick-offs, Premier Division Prestwich Heys will be on the road against 1874 Northwich, who dropped down to Step Five of the non-league system last season, making this an even playing field.
• Abbey Hey have only won one of their seven matches in all competitions, but they will have the chance to improve on that record when they host Doncaster City in the Vase on Saturday.
• First Division North side Alsager Town managed their first win of the new campaign last weekend, knocking off newly promoted Haughmond. They will want to build on that with a Vase victory over Redditch Borough.
• Barnoldswick Town have been involved in a few goal-fests so far this season already, and they are coming off a 3-2 victory over Euxton Villa as they get ready to welcome Birtley Town on Saturday.
• Pilkington have lost each of their last four matches in all competitions, and they haven’t conceded less than four goals in a game since the beginning of the month. Brigg Town will be their hosts on Saturday as they look to recover their form.
• In contrast, Prem side Burscough are on a great run heading into their all-NWCFL clash against newly promoted MSB Woolton. They’ve won their last three, whereas their visitors only earned their first point of the new campaign in their most recent game, drawing 2-2 with Daisy Hill.
• Charnock Richard and Ashton Athletic are also going to face one another in a match that will guarantee one more team in the hat for the next round. The Prem outfit are the favourites, with the North side coming into this game off the back of two consecutive defeats.
• Maine Road are the NWCFL’s team to beat right now, having scored nine and conceded zero in their last two matches. They will travel away to Crowle Colts on Saturday to try and keep their run going.
• Winless Euxton Villa will get a break from a league action this weekend as they welcome Worsbrough Bridge Athletic to the Jim Fowler Memorial Stadium for their first Vase match of the campaign.
• FC St Helens have had an inconsistent start to 2025/26, with three wins, two draws and two defeats to their name thus far. If they overcome Penistone Church, they’ll record their second win in three matches.
• Maghull, like Maine Road, are on a team on fire in the First Division North. They’ve won their last three, and they scored 11 goals in that time. An away trip to Frickley Athletic awaits them this weekend as they aim for a place in the next round of the Vase.
• In a Preston/Blackpool derby of sorts, newly promoted Fulwood Amateurs will host AFC Blackpool for the first time this season. There will be at least two more clashes between the two to come in the First Division North in 2025/26.
• Garstang’s heads will be low after their most recent game – a 7-1 defeat to Fulwood Amateurs that they will want to forget ASAP. A Vase victory over Prudhoe Youth Club on home soil could be just the tonic that Guy Heffernan’s side are searching for.
• Glossop North End will be the favourites as they search for their second win in all competitions this season on Saturday. Their opponents will be First Division North Bacup Borough, who will be playing a their first competitive match of the season.
• Telford Town’s impressive start to life in the NWCFL continued at pace last weekend with a 4-1 victory over Cheadle Heath Nomads. If they win again this weekend away against Gresley Rovers in the Vase, it will be their fifth victory on the spin.
• Holker Old Boys’ blistering start to the season was halted by consecutive 2-1 defeats in the past fortnight. They will be hoping to rediscover their winning formula when they host Ryton and Crawcrook Albion on Saturday.
• Litherland REMYCA are looking to break a losing streak this Saturday when they welcome Rossington Main to Boundary Road. They’ve lost four on the trot since their last victory over City of Liverpool in late July.
• Cammell Laird 1907 broke a winless streak of their last weekend with a 3-2 victory over Foley Meir. They’ll be hungry to make it two in two this Saturday when they go on the road to Liversedge in the Vase.
• Also playing away from home on Saturday will be Stockport Georgians, who will face Maltby Main in their first Vase qualifier. Georgians have only lost once so far this campaign, and they have scored four goals in victories on two occasions already.
• In a first-time meeting this season, Market Drayton Town will host First Division South new arrivals Haughmond. From 10 games between the two of them, only MDT have recorded a victory so far, with them sharing nine defeats.
• Nelson have lost two matches from three so far this season, and both defeats have come when they’ve shipped five goals in a game. Now managerless, they’ll want to avoid this pattern repeating itself when they host Alnwick Town on Saturday.
• Steeton have had a dream start to 2025/26. The Chevrons are undefeated in league action, have won three of their last four, and will be ready to prove themselves on a national stage this weekend when they travel away to Park View AFC.
• From three games this season, Colne have had a tally mark in every result column. They weren’t in action last weekend, so they’ve had extra time to prepare for their away trip this weekend to Seaham Red Star in the Vase.
• Shawbury United will be hoping to get back to the form that saw them win their opening two matches when they host Wellington in the Vase this weekend. They’re coming into this off the back of a 5-0 defeat to Eccleshall, which will be good motivation for a recovery victory if nothing else.
• Squires Gate are still adjusting to life after relegation to the First Division North this summer, but they will have their first cup game of the new campaign on Saturday when they welcome Tadcaster Albion to the Skiddle Community Stadium.
• The only thing keeping Stafford Town off top spot in the First Division South this season is that both Telford and Runcorn Town have played more games than Adam Wall’s men. They won’t get the chance to correct that just yet, as they welcome Tividale in the Vase this weekend.
• Stockport Town returned to winning ways last weekend when they hosted and defeated Cheadle Town in the Premier Division. They’ll be hoping to force a repeat of last weekend’s result when they host Selby Town this Saturday.
• City of Liverpool have found it difficult to readjust to life in the NWCFL, with three defeats to their name from six games in all competitions so far in 2025/26. A Vase win over Swallownest away from home could be the match that they need to ignite their season.
• As of last weekend, Thornton Cleveleys have been displaced at the top of the tree in the First Division North. They will be in Vase action this Saturday, hoping to recover their league-leading against Chester-le-Street Town at home.
• Wolves Casuals’ delight from their first win in the NWCFL was short-lived, as they fell to defeat last weekend against Barnton. They’ll want to recover their momentum with a win on Saturday in cup action, at home to Dudley Town.
• Wolves Sporting waited longer than any other NWCFL team for a win last season – not so much this time around! They got off the mark last weekend, overcoming New Mills 2-1, and will want to keep that going when they host Westfields in the Vase this weekend.

Premier Division:

• To round out the weekend, regular cup abstainers FC Isle of Man will be away from home in league action against unbeaten-in-90-minutes Ramsbottom United. Steve Wilkes’ men were beaten on penalties during the week in the FA Cup, so they will want redemption.