A TITLE tilt, play-offs and relegation issues as well as cup final hopes are all in play for Mid Cheshire football clubs on Saturday.
Witton Albion, on the back of successive losses, are in danger of being dragged into the relegation dogfight in Northern Premier League West and need to turn their fortunes around.
Six points clear of the drop zone with six games to go, three of their next four games are against top-five sides – starting with a visit to table-topping Widnes on Saturday.
Meanwhile, 1874 Northwich’s place in the Midland League Premier Division play-offs could be confirmed by the end of Saturday.
A win at Studley would mean they can no longer be caught by chasing pair Whitchurch Alport and Dudley Town.
With four games remaining, they have a 10 points buffer.
Winsford United could be crowned champions of North West Counties League First Division South over the coming week.
They are eight points clear of nearest challengers Stafford Town, with four games remaining.
Blues make the trip to Stockport Georgians on Saturday and should they win, all eyes would then be on Stafford’s home game against Abbey Hulton United on Tuesday where failure to claim maximum points would hand the men from Barton Stadium the title.
And if Blues backed up a win on Saturday with one at home against Cheadle Heath Nomads on Tuesday, Stafford’s result would count for nothing in the title chase anyway.
In the same division, Barnton are battling to avoid the bullet just above the drop zone but have a change of focus this weekend.
They will head to higher-division Charnock Richard in the semi-finals of the Macron Cup.
The Villagers will hold no fear, having knocked out Premier Division high-flyers Lower Breck 3-2 in the quarter-finals, a result sealed by George Edwards’ superb strike four minutes into added time.
This will be Barnton’s first tie away from home, though, in this season’s competition.
They will come up against a side who have won their last two league games and not failed to score less than four goals in each of their contests in the earlier rounds, albeit against sides from a division below them.
Saturday’s winners will go on to face AFC Blackpool or Stafford Town in the final at Accrington Stanley’s Wham Stadium on Monday, May 5, kick-off 3pm.
