Who will strike blow in race for Division One North title?

NORTHWICH Victoria take on Warrington Town, their rivals to win the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Division One North title, for the first time this season tomorrow, Saturday.

The hosts will start the contest with a three-point lead at the table’s summit, but Jim Gannon’s side have four games in hand.

In almost every other way, the teams cannot be separated.

Both have won seven of their past eight league matches, a sequence in which Yellows have scored four more goals.

That is in part down to in-form captain Ciaran Kilheeney, who has scored in each of the past five fixtures.

He will be up against a Northwich defence shorn of Ryan Astles’ towering presence following his move to National League side Chester last week.

Cedric Krou is his likely replacement.

Last term’s corresponding meeting ended level, an outcome that will suit the visitors more this time around.

 

Can Winnington Park respond after dropping into the relegation zone?

IT has been a dispiriting start to 2016 for Winnington.

They lost 28-15 at home last weekend to Liverpool Collegiate, a direct opponent in the battle to avoid the drop from South Lancs/Cheshire Division One.

It marked a first defeat at Burrows Hill since New Brighton visited on October 10.

However a five-point deduction imposed for fielding an ineligible player in a fixture before Christmas has left Roger Pickering’s side eight points adrift of safety.

The head coach described his players’ performance at ‘totally lacklustre’ following Saturday’s stumble against Collegiate.

Their attempt to recover starts with a trip to promotion-chasing Liverpool St Helens, who have lost only once on home turf this season.

Meanwhile Park have lost six successive matches on the road since beating Northwich on the opening day.

A victory this weekend would act as a favour for their neighbours, currently four points behind LSH in the table.

Northwich Guardian:

Winnington captain Harry Stubbs on the attack at Burrows Hill last weekend

 

Winnington’s hockey players have a chance to end a long wait

WINNINGTON Park have not won three successive matches in the North Men’s League in almost six years, since March 2010.

A 3-2 win at Crewe Vagrants last weekend, which moved them three points clear of the table’s bottom two, gives them a chance to end a wait to repeat that sequence.

Their opponents this weekend are current back-markers Liverpool Sefton, who have lost six of their past seven league games.

However they have won on their past four visits to Northwich – a warning for Winnington.

Northwich Guardian:

Mike Dodd and his Winnington teammates target a third successive league win this Saturday

 

Will bowlers end up with a code of conduct?

THE British Crown Green Bowling Association hosts a rules revision meeting this weekend in Northwich.

Among the items on the agenda is a proposal from bowlers in Staffordshire that the governing body should adopt a code of conduct for players, spectators and officials to abide by at matches.

It was met with derision during the Mid-Cheshire Bowling Association’s annual meeting last week, when former BCGBA president Peter Kelly – the league’s representative at county level – described it as a ‘first step towards us becoming flat-green bowlers’.

Saturday’s meeting, at Winnington Park Recreation Club, starts at 10am.

 

Cheshire target first away win of the campaign

CHESHIRE head to Essex this weekend for the fifth round of this season’s British Inter County Darts Championship.

Defeats on previous road trips during the current campaign, to Lancashire and Warwickshire, leave them still looking for a first away win.

It will not be easy at Chelmsford Social Club, where they have been beaten on their past two league visits.

Dave Bird, from Winsford, is in the men’s A team, while Weaverham-based Matt Hunt has been selected for the B side.

Stuart Kellett will not be joining them this weekend; instead, he will be at Wigan on Sunday to take part in qualifiers for this year’s German and Dutch Masters.

Meanwhile mid Cheshire throwers Andrea Hunt, Bev Martin, Jane Stubbs and Heidi Williams will be in action for the ladies.

Cheshire start the contest sixth in the Premier Division table.