A perfect weekend

Six points collected and clean-sheets from two games, inflicting on both of their opponents – Whitby Town and Nantwich – a first defeat of the new season.

It’s hard to find fault.

And why would you want to? Witton have responded to a narrow defeat at South Shields in exactly the way Carl Macauley will have wanted.

Perhaps the most impressive takeaway is how they’ve accrued the points they have; disciplined in defence when they’ve been under pressure and still able to be incisive when they attack.

And it’s a vast improvement on the last time Witton took on Nantwich and Whitby in a Bank Holiday double-header…

Scoring at the right time

Timing is everything, right?

Carl Macauley was disappointed his side’s shooting wasn’t sharper during a draw with Hyde on Tuesday.

Witton still squandered two glorious chances against the Dabbers, but they did at least take the lead during their best spell of the contest in the first-half.

Conscious they needed more of a cushion, Rob Hopley’s second goal five minutes after the interval was a blow to the visitors’ hopes.

It’s positive for Albion that their captain is off the mark, and now has 70 goals in 123 starts for the club, while Jones will be keen to follow suit.

Tipping the balance another way

Much has been said, and written, about how Witton would adjust to losing their leading goal-scorer for a third successive summer.

The answer? Become harder to beat.

They have had an overhaul in defence, where Greg Hall, James Yates and Josh Wardle have joined River Humphreys – who himself made little more than a dozen appearances after arriving part-way through last season.

Albion look meaner, and less flimsy, as a result.

Wardle, player of the season at Skelmersdale United at the level below last time out, has impressed hugely in head-to-heads with Chib Chilaka and Danny Glover in the home games.

In praise of Greg Hall

The former 1874 Northwich number one arrived with a reputation as a formidable shot-stopper, and his save to deny Nantwich striker Callum Saunders in the first-half was a reminder of that.

That isn’t what impressed about his latest display though.

Hall repeatedly caught crosses pumped into Witton’s penalty area, whether from open play or set-pieces, as the Dabbers changed tack to try and find a way back into the game.

It relieved any pressure on Albion’s rearguard, but also enabled them to defend slightly further forward rather than worry about having to retreat and protect him.

His handling was impeccable.

A bigger pool to pick from

Carl Macauley always prefers to manage a smaller, compact squad.

However the absence of Billy Smart through suspension and Delial Brewster – who was sick – left him with only three outfield substitutes.

All of them were defensive options too.

He will have more flexibility, particularly in the final third, when international clearance for two signings is received from the Welsh FA.

Colwyn Bay have named one of those as Will Booth, who knows Wincham Park already following a spell in Albion’s youth team before joining Kidsgrove.

He has been recovering from an ankle injury sustained earlier this summer, but his versatility is exactly what Witton need.