FA Cup Preliminary Round Chadderton FC 2 v 1 Stockport Town

 Chaddy Progress in the FA Cup Against Local Rivals

Just a a couple of months after the FA Cup final, the 2025/2026 campaign started today with the Preliminary rounds. 

Todays game seen me make a first visit to Andrew Street to see Chadderton v Stockport Town with both teams hoping to progress to the next round and pocket over £1000 in prize money. 

The game started in front of a decent crowd of 270 in tenacious fashion. Both teams not afraid of putting tackles in with the referee letting the as mush as he could go but after a few late and high challenges, a couple of bookings a piece was handed out. 

The first 30 minutes was starved of clear cut chances but the stand out players where both number 7s, Berry for Chaddy and Green for Town, who both kept creating chances and beating their full backs with ease, Green coming close with an effort just wide from long range. 

With Stockport seemingly having more control of the game, they got the first goal of the game. A long ball over the top was missed by a Chaddy centre back leaving Kattah one on one with the keeper, keeping his composure, he finished well to give Town the lead.  

Kattah had another chance to double his tally shortly after but his shot was well saved by Oldham. This proved costly as on the 40th minute Chaddy equalised. Good work from Bryne seen him set up his captain Crothers who finished well to make the half time score 1-1. 

The second half started with Stockport having most of the ball and better chances with a few set pieces causing issues for the Chaddy defence. The last one hitting the post and spinning wide after a bit of pin ball in the box. 

Chaddy were having to play on the break and in the 66th minute they got themselves in the lead. The impressive Berry got the ball to Bryne in the box. Shifting the ball onto his right foot, he curled the ball into the top right corner much to the crowds delight.

The came settled down into a battle in the middle with few chances created for either team, As time ran out, and tempers flared again, a scuffle broke out with Stockport Town's substitute Depiaza seeing red for his part in the incident. 

Chaddy managed to see the came out to take them into the next round. Stockport will be wondering how they lost the game with seemingly having control of most of it. 

Chadderton 2

Crothers (40)

Bryne (66)

Stockport Town 1

Kattah( (28)

Att: 270

26/7/25 NWCD1N Maghull 2-2 Squires Gate

 Non-League Football Back With A Bang

After a three month break, competitive non-league football was back for the North West Counties teams and my game today took me back to Maghull to watch their first home game of the season. Their opponents today were newly relegated Squires Gate who no doubt will look to make a return back to the Premier division. 

In front of a crowd just shy of 300, Squires Gate made the early breakthrough, after a good start, in the 9th minute Harries opened the scoring with a fine finish from outside the box after good work from Edwards. Maghull nearly equalised straight after with Till hitting the bar but it was SG who kept pushing and doubled their lead in the 27th minute with Ings volleying home from close range following a corner to take them into the break with a 2-0 lead. 

The management staff for Maghull must have said something right at half time because their team came flying out of the traps and got a goal back in the 47th through Hoey who on the half volley, fired home through the bodies following a corner. 

With Maghull's tails up, Harrison had a fine strike save by the Squires keeper to keep them in the lead. Throughout the half, it was all Maghull as Squires struggled to make any head way  and were doing well to frustrate the home team with the break up of play. 

Chances for Maghull late on, first from Till as a strike went over the bar with ten minutes left and then Brannigan powered a header onto the bar as the clocked hit the 90th minute looked to resign them to a defeat. 

But in the 95th minute, good work down the left seen the ball flicked onto the back post where Maghull's Peet had done great to make up the ground and send a header into the top corner to ecstatic fans and staff. 

The game finished 2-2 and was a cliché game of two halves with Squires having the better first but Maghull's dominant second half made a draw a fair result. 

The game was a great advert for North West Counties football which I am glad to be back watching. 

Maghull FC 2

Hoey (49) 

Peet (95)

Squires Gate 2

Harries (9)

Ing (27)

Att: 289

22/3/25 Euxton Villa 2-2 Bacup Borough NWCD1N

 Late Comeback Denies Villa All Three Points

Todays game saw me watch Euxton Villa and Bacup Borough play their third match against each other this season. Villa looking to confirm their play off position against Bacup who are Lancashire FA trophy finalists and will play National League North team Southport in the final later this year. 

A fantastic start from Villa seen them take the lead inside a minute. A fast attack from kick off result in a freekick awarded on the right hand side of the box. The ball was played in and a free header from Dan Singleton opened the scoring. 

Villa's tails where up and had another effort from Colquhoun deflected out for a corner. It took until the 18th minute for Bacup to register a shot, good work from number 9 Wright seen his shot just over. Much of the half was nip and tuck as both teams looked to factor chances. Villa's Singleton had a goal bound shot cleared off the line and Shorrock fired wide when played in. 

Bacup nearly went into the break level after pressure from a late freekick caused mayhem in the box. With the ball recycled to the back post, Wright's excellent header was kept out by Lombard to see Villa go into the break 1-0 up. 

The second half started in quick fashion with chances for both sides. Bacup's Siddle was denied when played through by a great save and a free headed at the back post from Villa's Gibson went over where he might of done better. 

With the game being battled in the middle, chances where few and far between. Villa made some changes which had an instant impact, in the 66th, Sharrock done well in the middle to chip a pass into substitute Twist who with his first touch of the game, steadied himself and smashed the ball into the bottom left corner across the keeper to give Villa a 2-0 lead.

With 10 minutes to go, and Villa seemingly on top, the game spun on its head. Bacup, who kept going all game, made an opening down the left. The ball fell to Hodgson who minutes earlier fired over. With quick feet he made an opening for a shot which flew past the keeper to give BB hope going into the last minutes. 

With Bacup pushing forward and Villa rocked, on the 85th minute they drew level. With good work down the right from substitute Booth, he fired a cross into the box where Hodgson was waiting to expertly guide the ball beyond the keeper to make it 2-2. 

Both teams pushed for a winner but the spoils where settled and it finished 2-2. 

A great game between two teams who have got to know each other very well over the past few seasons. Villa have been going well and should make the play offs and will be tough for any opponent they face. 

After watching Bacup a few times this season, their battling attitude never stops and am sure they will ruffle Southport's feathers when they play their final. 

Euxton Villa 2

Singleton (1)

Twist (66)

Bacup Borough 2

Hodgson (80,85)

Att: 168

 

15/3/25 NWCD1S Cammell Laird 2 - 1 Barnton

 Laird Continue Unbeaten Run With Win Over Barnton

Todays game seen me visit the KRCT Ltd Stadium as Cammell Laird hosted Barton in the North West Counties Division 1 South.

Both teams were coming into todays game in good form as Laird where keeping a slim playoff hope alive whilst Barton where trying to pull away from the relegation zone. 

As the first half started, both teams seamed nervous on the ball and struggled with the bobbly pitch as neither midfield could keep hold of the ball. The first 20 minutes was a poor showing as not much happened apart from a few half chances from Laird. 

Laird started to get a foothold in the game midway through the first half and scored the games first goal with their first meaningful attack. After a good spell of possession, the ball was played to Downey who whipped in a great cross which seen Whalley rise above the defence to head home. With their tails up, Laird had another chance with Whalley winning a header again but this time just over the bar. 

With Laird in control, a rare lapse at the back from their defence and keeper led to a back pass. Barnton had the chance to score from an indirect freekick but this was fired well over. Barton, now growing into the game, had another chance to equalizer through Jones but his effort from a pull back was hit over. 

Laird pushed forward and extended their lead on the 36th minute through a great goal. After pressing high up the pitch, this lead to a turnover in possession and the ball found its way to Holland who shifted inside and made space for a shot which was buried bottom corner just out of reach from the keeper. Laird going into the break two goals to the good.

The second half started with Barnton taking the game to Laird and were rewarded with a goal to get back into the game. A long throw from Bennett which was causing issues all game found its way to the back post where substitute Edwards was there to smash home giving the keeper no chance. 

With the game getting stretched, a couple of bookings, one for each team, where handed out for late tackles as Laird tried to get a hold of the game again. Barnton keep coming and nearly got the equalizer on 80mins from sub Frempong as he hit a snapshot with the ball bouncing round the box, but a great reflex save from Brooks kept Laird in the lead. 

The last 5 minutes seen Barnton bombard the Laird box with corner and corner but the team held them off to see out the 2-1 win. 

Both teams put a shift in all game and maybe a draw would of been fair, but Laird continue their push for a top half finish. Barnton still 6 points ahead of the relegation zone. 

Cammell Laird 2

Whalley (24)

Holland (36)

Barnton 1

Edwards (56)

Att: 87

1/3/2025 NWCD1S New Mills 2-0 Cheadle Heath Nomads

 New Mills Upset Playoff Hunting Nomads

My third game of the day saw me travel to New Mills who played Cheadle Heath Nomads. Nomads where occupying the final playoff place with New Mills sitting in midtable. 

New Mills came flying out of the blocks with some great intricate passing between Wood, Woodward and Shawcross pulling the Nomads defence out of shape. This play resulted in the first bit of action, a loose backpass seen the Nomads keeper bring down Woodward in the 8th minute to give the Millers a pen. Up stepped Shawcross but his shot was kept out by a great save from Forde who redeemed himself. 

Millers where undeterred by this and managed to break the deadlock in the 13th minute. Great play betwwen Woodward and Shawcross resulted in the ball being played to Wood who slotted home to give the 400+ crowd something to cheer about. 

The Woodward and Shawcross combination struck again as a counter attack by New Mills resulted in a corner. After the ball bobbiling round, it found its way to Pauley who smashed a left footed shot home to give them a 2-0 lead. 

The rest of the half seen half chances from both teams but New Mills managed to control the rest of the half to see them go in 2 goals to the good. 

The second half seen a nip and tuck game with no real major chances. Both teams had a flurry of attacks and half chances but with the pitch cutting up, this played in to the Millers hands who managed to mop up any threat from the Nomads. Chances for Lewis and O'Hara for Nomads where the closest the came, Lewis finally being played in one on one but blazed over and O'Hara's effort narrowly going over. 

The game finished 2-0 to Millers after their quick start which sees them still sit in midtable, Nomads still in the playoff places despite the loss. 

New Mills 2

Wood (13)

Pauley (19)

Cheadle Heath Nomads 0

Att: 558

1/3/2025 NWCP Stockport Town FC 0 - 1 Cheadle Town

 Cheadle come out on top in local Derby

The second game of the day seen a local derby between Stockport Town and Cheadle Town with both teams battling in midtable due to an indifferent seasons. 

Another big crown of 400+ seen a frantic start from both teams with neither giving an inch. Stockport had the ball in the net after 60 seconds after a mix up in defence but a push on a defender was seen by the ref and the goal chalked off. 

The fast start continued as both teams had half chances but it was in the 15th minute that Cheadle were awarded a pen after Putham was brought down. Delaney stepped up to coolly give them the lead. 

Cheadle continued to press and Khan seen his effort dragged wide. The game changed on the 24th minute. A weak backpass from Stockport seen Khan get to the ball first and knocked it past Schofield in goal who took him out. Khan to his credit got back up to put the ball in the empty net but the ref had already blew for the foul and duly sent off Scofield. 

Cheadle rightly had most of the ball for the first half but with no major chances the teams went in with the score 1-0 to Cheadle. 

The second half started and you began to forget Stockport were a man less as they continued to get forward into promising areas without testing the keeper. With Stockport now playing nearly an hour with a man less, Cheadle started to find more space for chances and were unlucky with an effort from Servuts crash off the bar before another headed from Putham was well saved. 

With 20 minutes left, Stockport had a headed effort tipped round the post as they sort a deserved goal. Stockport brought on some fresh legs and continued to get chances wide but the final ball was always lacking. Cheadle managed to hang on to their lead and win the game 1-0. 

Stockport should be really happy with how they played after going down to 10 men so early but the damaged was done in the first 25 minutes. 

Stockport Town FC 0

Cheadle Town 1

Delaney (15p)

Att: 435

1/3/2025 NWCD1S Stockport Georgians 3-1 Sandbach United

 Georgians Upset the Odds

It was the Saturday instalment of the North West Groundhopper weekend, where groundhoppers from all over the country get to see 7 games over 3 days at 7 different grounds. The first game of Saturday seen struggling Stockport Georgians host Sandbach United who are hoping to make the playoffs at the end of the season. 

In front of a bumper crowd of 532, the game got underway in glorious sunshine at 11:00am. The first 10 minutes of the game seen Sandbach understandably control the came with some nice passes through out the pitch with SG relying on counter attacks. The first real effort on goal was from Alley from Sandbach who had a strike from the edge of the box which went wide. 

This seemed to spark SG into life as they look the game to Sandbach soon after, twice hitting the crossbar in quick succession from Berry and Wych. Much of the first half was end to end but with no clear cut chances until on the stroke of halftime, Berry for SG was played through inside 12 yards, but somehow managed to miss the target completely meaning the first half ended goalless. 

The second half started as the first ended with end to end attacks. Greenop for Sandbach shooting narrowly over, then Wych for SG again hitting the woodwork from a freekick. The deadlock was finally broken on the 48th minute when a poor kick from Sandbach keeper Jones resulted in Wych being gifted the ball, who then calmed placed the ball in the bottom corner. Three minutes later Sandbach were level, a freekick whipped in from Cope found the head of Greenop who's powerful headed drew them level. 

A third goal in 15 minutes seen SG re-take the lead. The impressive McFadyen who was causing issues all game down the left, cut inside when played in the box and fired a great goal into the bottom right corner. 

Not much goal action for the rest of the half as the game started to get niggly with a frustrated Sandbach struggling to find away back, SG killed the game off in the 80th minute after a penalty was given for a foul on Cookson who drove into the box. McFadyen getting his second. 

Full time seen Stockport Georgians win 3-1 to boost their survival chances. Sandbach, although lost, are still comfortably in the playoffs still. 

It was a great way to kick off a full day of football for the groudhoppers who made their way North to watch Stockport Town. 

Stockport Georgians 3

Wych (48)

McFadyen (65, 80p)

Sandbach United 1

Greenop (51)

Att: 532