Week 7: Preview

Fri 5th September 2025 | Match Previews | By Jay Cooper

There's plenty of NWCFL league action to get your teeth into over the next few days! Let's see who's facing whom this weekend.

Premier Division:

Friday:

• Euxton Villa have seven points from as many games in the league this season, and will welcome FC St Helens as they look to better that record under the Friday night lights. The visitors won a Liverpool derby of sorts last weekend, knocking off high-flying Burscough away from home.

Saturday:

• Table-topping Padiham’s perfect record continued last weekend as they overcame FC Isle of Man, and they’re back on the road to face middle-of-the-pack Abbey Hey on Saturday, hoping to make it seven wins in seven.
• FC Isle of Man’s defeat to the Storks was due to a 94^th minute winner – they’ll want to avoid the same heartache when they travel to Burscough for a three o’clock affair. Both sides trying to recover from defeat last time out.
• Chadderton are one of two NWCFL sides left in the FA Cup after last weekend, and they will be trying to carry the momentum from their 3-1 victory over Bishop Auckland into a home fixture this Saturday when they welcome Longridge Town.
• City of Liverpool managed their first league win of the season in an impressive comeback against AFC Liverpool last time out. Ideally for Karl Clair’s side, their coming visit to Charnock Richard, fresh off a 1-1 draw with Abbey Hey, will go a lot smoother.
• Cheadle Town, who were held to an away draw against lowly Prestwich Heys last weekend, will welcome Atherton LR to the Ground Up Solutions Stadium. The visitors tore up the Flat Cap derby in the FA Cup last weekend, winning 5-2 against Atherton Collieries.
• Glossop North End haven’t won a game for nearly a month, but they have a good shot at breaking that bad run when they welcome Pilkington this weekend. Pilks have lost six of their last seven in all competitions, and they have conceded a whopping 32 goals during that stretch.
• Third-top meets third-bottom in an all-Manchester affair at Silver Street, as Irlam welcome Prestwich Heys. The visitors drew with Cheadle Town last time out, but Irlam are yet to draw in all competitions this season, with six wins from eight to their name.
• At the same time, second-place Ramsbottom United will host fourth-bottom AFC Liverpool. Steve Wilkes’ hosts are looking to close the gap on pacesetters Padiham, having righted the ship with last weekend’s 3-0 victory over Wythenshawe.
• Despite their negative goal difference, South Liverpool have managed the same number of points as fifth-placed Chadderton thus far. Martin Ryman’s men can break into the play-off places with a weekend win over West Didsbury and Chorlton on home soil.
• Litherland REMYCA are in dire need of a boost right now, having lost their seventh game on the spin in all competitions last weekend to Irlam. Hoping to course-correct, they will travel to mid-table Stockport Town, who were held to a 1-1 draw by newly promoted Euxton Villa last time out.
• Despite being ninth in the table at the time of writing, a win and a few other results in their favour this weekend could propel Wythenshawe into the play-off picture. Barnoldswick Town will be their opponents, who are unbeaten in their last four, and in five of their last six.
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First Division North:

• AFC Blackpool are on the board for the season after last weekend’s 2-0 victory over Darwen FC. They’ll want to use that win as a launch pad as they welcome another play-off hopeful in Maine Road this Saturday.
• Ashton Town were the hosts of Bacup Borough’s first game of the season last weekend, and they were beaten. They are back at the Bartons Group Stadium on Saturday to welcome Squires Gate, who, alongside four other sides, have seven points thus far.
• Bacup Borough are the only team in the league with a perfect record – one win from one. They can keep that unique statistic going this weekend with their first home game of the campaign; third-placed Steeton are the visitors.
• Nelson recorded a much-needed win last weekend against Thornton Cleveleys to catapult themselves away from the drop zone. One of the teams still closer to the bottom of the table than they’d like to be are Daisy Hill, who will visit Little Wembley on Saturday hoping for a table-climbing win of their own.
• Both Darwen FC and Fulwood Amateurs dropped points last weekend in their respective early pushes towards the play-off places: Darwen lost, and Fulwood drew. Both sides will want to win and regain as much momentum as possible when they go toe to toe on Saturday.
• Droylsden’s defence was only breached after 94 minutes last weekend when they visited Ashton Athletic. The Bloods will be more than keen to go one better and keep a clean sheet in victory over newly relegated Colne on Saturday as they keep the pressure on table-topping Maghull.
• Winless MSB Woolton kept a clean sheet last time out against play-off chasing Holker Old Boys in a 0-0 draw, which is a step in the right direction. They could take another one if they upset Garstang on Saturday, who are only two points and five places above them going into this coming match.
• Maghull hold all the cards right now in the battle for top of the table – they have a point and a game in hand on second-placed Droylsden and could further solidify their grasp on top spot with sixth win on the spin, as Thornton Cleveleys visit the DT Hughes Community Stadium.
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First Division South:

• Neither Allscott Heath nor Alsager Town scored last weekend as they fell to defeat against Stafford Town and Stockport Georgians. They will hunt for redemption against one another, with the latter currently occupying a spot in the relegation zone.
• Unbeaten Telford Town are still top of the league following last weekend’s 2-1 away win against Ashville. Mid-table Cammell Laird 1907 will be their hosts this weekend, hoping to upset the applecart.
• Market Drayton Town have had a long rest from their FA Vase defeat to Haughmond on August 23^rd. They lost that game, but will hope to get back on track with an away trip to Cheadle Heath Nomads, who themselves lost 2-0 last Saturday to Barnton.
• Barnton, who won 2-0 last weekend against Nomads, will travel to the Stoke Signage Stadium this weekend to square off with Eccleshall, who lost 2-0 last weekend to New Mills.
• The wait for points goes on for Haughmond, who were beaten 4-0 by Foley Meir last Saturday. They have beaten Market Drayton in the Vase this season, and their next chance at breaking their league losing streak will come with the visit of Ashville on Saturday.
• Top of the play-offs will face bottom of the play-offs this weekend as Runcorn Town meet New Mills at the Viridor Community Stadium. Darren Moore’s men got back on track in their quest to catch Telford with a 2-0 win over Shawbury United, matching the result New Mills managed against Eccleshall at the same time.
• Sandbach United were the talk of the division after last weekend’s results came in – they blasted Wolves Sporting 9-0 to record the biggest win in the NWCFL this season so far, and promotion hopefuls Stafford Town will hope to avoid the same fate at the Sandbach Community Football Centre this Saturday.
• Fellow play-off place occupiers Stockport Georgians recorded their first win in three against Alsager last weekend, and will want to ward off the sides below them within touching distance of the top five with another victory over 13^th placed Shawbury United on Saturday.
• The final victim of a 2-0 defeat last weekend in the South were Wolves Casuals, beaten by Cammell Laird. They will be hoping to avoid a sixth defeat in eight games this season when they welcome Foley Meir, who are coming into this one off the back of a confidence-boosting 4-0 victory over Haughmond.