The Witton Albion Column - by Paul Harper

HOME sweet home. It was good to be back at Wincham Park last weekend after the previous three matches were away from home.

Saturday’s 2-0 win over Basford United was the first of three home games in a row (isn’t it strange how these things are worked out?) and gives us a chance to push on in the Pitching In Northern Premier League Premier Division.

After an indifferent start to the campaign, it was a good performance and result on Saturday against a team who you’d expect to be challenging for promotion come the end of the season in Basford.

Two early goals really killed their hopes, though, particularly the manner of them. First, a horrendous own goal with a mix up between defender and goalkeeper, before a towering header from Steve McNulty doubled the lead.

At least, we thought it was from Steve McNulty. Reviewing the video footage after the game suggests that it not have been the former Tranmere and Fleetwood man, but in fact another own goal!

We should have known from his celebration, really, or lack of one. He is a rather understated character, so perhaps we should be forgiven for missing it, but the fact he went back to the halfway line with a bit of a chuckle as his name was read out over the PA system should have told us all we needed to know!

Still, the record books remain unaltered. It’s a lot of faff, and the defender who scored won’t forgive me for doing it, so congratulations to Steve for his first goal in Witton colours!

The performance was good. We played some good stuff, with Crewe loanee Regan Griffiths providing us an added dimension in the middle of the park.

A new signing shortly before the game, Griffiths is at Wincham Park for a month from the Railwaymen and looks a good prospect. Tidy on the ball, aggressive in the tackle, keen to get forward, he has all the ingredients you look for in a midfield player and it will be interesting to follow his progress at the club.

He is the latest in a number of loan players from The Alex in recent times, and the agreements benefit all parties, with the player gaining much needed senior experience which helps Albion in the short term on the pitch and will help Crewe in the long term knowing they have a player capable of competing at a senior level in competitive fixtures.

Travis Johnson, Luke Offord and Owen Dale are three examples of players who have benefited Albion on loan and gone to gain opportunities in the first team at the EFL club, so it’s been a positive arrangement, and the early signs suggest that Griffiths could be capable of making a similar step up too.

As I mentioned earlier in this piece, we have a couple of home games coming up this week and your support would be greatly appreciated. Scarborough visit us in the league for what should be an entertaining game, before Crewe are our opposition in the Cheshire Senior Cup.

Getting people through the gates is vitally important for the club, so it would be great to see you at Wincham Park and we guarantee you will receive a warm welcome.