[themaclad]

Padiham 2 Ashton, Noble Lonridge Town 0 Att 220 plus about 10 dogs

Having neglected the non league game for far too long today was the perfect opportunity to rectify that, the choices were either of the two North West Counties matches, the Conference games at Chorley or Fylde however decided to get in the Mirth Mobile and go to Padiham a town just to the west of the netherland known as Burnley.
Padiham were 17th before kick off Longridge 2nd handily placed with games in hand on leaders 1874 Northwich who were eight points ahead. Decent little ground adjoining the local cricket club with the town below it.
Entrance £3 plus a prog for £2

Longridge looked a good passing side in the early stages playing the ball in behind the home teams full backs but Padiham looked to counter at pace which they did well throughout the game. The video below shows an early Longridge corner which ended up with Padiham brreaking away and clipping the bar with a shot.

Within a minute of that long ball down the pitch Longriddge No 9 in on goal tame shot easily saved by the keeper, that was it for the majority of the first half both sides cancelled each other out and the game was in truth a touch dull.
A couple of minutes before half time Padiham led they had put the visitors under a bit of pressure and a ball over the top did them as Ashton ran on to score with Longridge fans claiming offside he wasn't although to be fair to the liner the lights hadn't been put on and it was quite gloomy apart from the radioactive haze over Burnley.

They could have been two up at the break but Noble the home sides most dangerous forward couldn't get the ball to a team mate when well placed.
Second half Longridge came out firing virtually camped in the home half but the Padiham defence dealt with everything that was thrown at them.
Padiham could have double their kead on the hour when Noble was denied by the Town keeper but only a short reprieve as Noble again in the inside right channel this time put the ball in the corner of the goal to make it two.

Town could have reduced the lead but the Town player couldn't quite get to a cross across the face of the goal other than a late shot well blocked by the home keeper Longridge could have played until the end of time without scoring. Padiham had chances to score further denied by the keeper and one excellent tackle in the box and held on fairly comfortably for the three points

Got home just in time to see Pukki's goal disallowed due to ghis arm pit haitr being given offside, none of that VAR gobbins in the North West Counties league.

[themaclad]

AFC BLACKPOOL 0  EMLEY AFC 3 Eyles 2 Claisse ATT 78
  V

A free Saturday due to North End's inability to win in the cup so it was off to Jepson Way to see AFC Blackpool play Emley AFC from Huddersfirld in a North West Counties game.
The visitors a re incarnation of the non league side which was quite succesful in the late 1990's getting through to the FA Cup 3rd Round were they lost to West Ham by the creditable score of 3-0, also one of the unluckiest sides ever once getting over a 100 points in a league season and still didn't win the league with Stalybridge getting 103 points to Emley's 102.
The visitors  reformed in 2005 joined the NWCFL this season, they are in a good position they were second going into this match and their victory today cemented their second place.
What is noticeable was the visitors had some experience playing for them especially Rob Boardman who has been banging in goals at this level for years.

The home side started well on a chilly January afternoon but it was the visitors that steuck first after 13 minutes good turn and shot which was curled past Blackpool youth keeper Kellett by Eyles

A series of corners by the home side brought no reward, but two spectacular Boardman efforts both from 40 plus yards nearly doubled the visitors lead, the second effort was only inches wide.
The home side could have been level but Thomas's effort went just the wrong side of the post, Kellett saved the home side by getting his hands to a goal bound shot and deflecting it for a corner.

Getting towards half time the referee was kept busy he booked Fishwick for kicking the ball away, it would come back to haunt him in the second half and also had a long discussion with the Emley skipper Price?
The home sides management were less than impressed with the official and told him so as they trudged off at half time.
Second half early Boardman free kick which went narrowly wide, Emley dominated couldn't score though and the home side stayed in the game then skipper Fishwick got his second yellow and departed to the red that was also shown.

With 10 the home side looked thye more likely to score and forced the visitors, but all hope was extinguished when Claisse got the second and when Eyles added a third about five minutes later game was over.
Emley could have had other goals but couldn't convert .

[themaclad]

RETURNING SOON MAY EVEN BE THIS SATURDAY

[themaclad]

I shall be here on Saturday the murky world is back

[themaclad]

Wyre Villa 0 Stoneclough 2

Proper football weather blowing a gale and decidedly not warm, but after 6 months without a game, it was a gentle stroll to the local ground to watch the local side play locally.
Visitors were Bolton based Stoneclough, as is the want apparently these days had names taken incase there was an outbreak of the dreaded disease.
Wyre had the wind at their backs in the first half but the early skirmishes mainly favoured the visitors.
I made an early intervention attempting to play the ball back from a seated position managed to toe end the ball over my head into a massive pile of brambles not an epic life success.



Wyre had the first effort on goal from the number 11 well saved by the keeper, he did even better from a Hunter free kick which curled on the wide from 35 yards out to tip it onto the bar. The visitors started to get on top looked more likely to score and from a free kick they did, the home keeper parried the ball and a Claret shirted forward scored from the rebound. They could have had another couple shots going narrowly wide both times.
Another Hunter free kick produced an easy save just before half time.



The second half was one way towards the visitors goal, as is the case sides often play better when playing against the wind, playing tyhe ball on the ground they began to look dangerous sadly for them though never really tested the visitors keeper, there were some thunderous proper tackles which eventually led to a bit of a skirmish which led to the referee flashing cards in all directions two at Stoneclough's number 5 the second being a red, he also issued a yellow to the visitors No 8 and also decided to send him to the sin bin for 10 minutes(Used at this level of the game)
One effort from the home side went oh so close before a poor header across the area by a home defender led to the visitors getting a decisive 2nd goal even though they only had 9 men.
Attendence about 40, 2 dogs and three prams.
Hopefully the first of many games this season.

[themaclad]

With mask and NHS app this is were I aim to end up on Saturday

[themaclad]

Beaten by the weather probably shoud never have set off but at 1.45 Charnock Richard v Nrthwich Victoria was on, so down tyhe M55 and M6 the trusty mobile went, arrived just in time to see people driving away. The referee having decided at 2pm it was too wet to play, so the wait to have to pay on the gate for a game goes on.
Couldn't even nip down the road to Wyre Villa as both sides were away, anyway here's a picture of the clubhouse at Charnock Richard, close but no cigar

[themaclad]

v

Atherton Laburnum Rovers 0 Golcar United 3 Burnett, Bradshaw, Stor Att 160



The club were established as an under-14 team by Joe Riley in 1956,[2] and were originally named Laburnum Rovers, named after Laburnum Playing Fields where they first played.[3] They joined the Briarcroft Junior League in December that year despite the season already having started, as there was an odd number of teams due to other clubs dropping out;[3][4] their first competitive fixture was a league cup game against Marsh Players A, which they lost 10–0.[4]

As the players exceeded the league's age limit, the club applied to join the Farnworth under-17s League. However it folded before the season started, and club applied to join the Leigh & District League instead, a full age competition. In 1961 they joined the Bolton Combination.[4] They won the Division Two and the Division Two Trophy in 1965–66, and after moving into a new ground in the summer of 1966, were promoted to Division One for the 1966–67 season.[2]

In 1980 the club joined Division Two of the Cheshire County League,[5] but had to change their name as league rules required the name of the town to be included; as a result they became Atherton Laburnum Rovers.[3] Two seasons later the league merged with the Lancashire Combination to form the North West Counties League, with Atherton placed in Division Two.[5] In the 1984–85 season they won the Bolton Hospital Cup, beating Scotts Park United 3–1 in the final.

Despite finishing second-from-bottom of Division Two in 1986–87 the club were promoted to Division One as part of league reorganisation and due to the quality of the facilities at Crilly Park.[4] In 1992–93 the club won the Division One title, and after retaining it the following season, were promoted to Division One of the Northern Premier League.[5] The 1993–94 season also saw them reach the semi-finals of the FA Vase, in which they lost 2–1 to Diss Town in a replay at VS Rugby after the two legs finished 3–3 on aggregate;[5] the quarter final match against Aldershot saw the setting of the club's record attendance of 1,856.[1]

The club spent three seasons in the Northern Premier League, before finishing bottom of the division in 1996–97, resulting in relegation back to Division One of the North West Counties League. In 1998–99 they won the Goldline Trophy, beating Atherton Town 3–0 in the final Hilton Park in Leigh. In 1999–2000 the club were relegated again, this time to Division Two, after finishing bottom of Division One. However, a third-place finish in Division Two the following season saw them promoted back to Division One at the first attempt.[5] They also won the Bolton Hospital Cup for a second time, beating Ramsbottom United 2–1 in the final.

The 2003–04 season saw Atherton win two trophies; the Goldline Trophy was won when Blackrod Town were beaten 4–1 at the Reebok Stadium, whilst the Bolton Hospital Cup was won with a 3–1 win over Eagley at the same venue. They remained in the division (which was renamed the Premier Division in 2008)[5] until finishing bottom of the table in 2011–12, after which they were relegated to Division One.[5]

Just a smidgen over 7 months since I actually paid to get into a game, Crilly Park, Atherton was the venue for the home sides game against Golcar United who come from the people's reublic of Yorkshire and are based in Huddersfield.
This was the visitors third game of the seasonwhilst it was the home sides first having had one game postponed due to a soggy Crilly Park and the other down to the Vid in the Liverpool area.

Decent drive to the ground only a yoof who didn't look were he was going on his mountain bike got s tream of abuse which is unusual when behind the wheel
Got me test and track app to work at the gate paid a fiver could have paid concession but an extra £2 is not a problem useful to clubs at this level.
Masked up for a visit to the tea room as you do these days.

Second time I've been here the last time was to see Lancaster play Leigh Genesis on a Tuesday night a while ago. The odd thing about that night was behind the goal at the bottom of the slope is a railway line and to this day I still think a saw a car being driven down it, can be a bit odd around there.

Last saw LR years ago at Bamber Bridge when they were in Division one of the Evo Stick or whatever it was called in those days, since those heady days they have slipped down the league but with a loyal fan base have struggled on whilst being over taken by cross town rivals Collieriers.
It's a decent ground, main stand covered arears behind on goal and down one side, with a row of houses behind the goal at the top end.
There was a bit of support for the visitors with legaue fans from Huddersfield, Rotherham and Bolton also attending
THE GAME
The first half the visitors dominated a great early stop froman early shot by Torrance saved LR bing one down although not for long from a corner Burnett scored from close range after Forbes from the home side was flattened in the original aerial challenge for the ball


Forbes on the deck
Couldhave been two shortly afterwards but offside saved the home side although didn't look offside to me. There was a peiod were it got a bit fiesty three quick bookings and one of those 50/50 challenges were the ball is the victim.
Rovers rallieed for a while before Comber had the home sides first effort at goal, it went wide.
Getting towards half time Golcar upped the pressure and on the stroke of half time Bradshaw beat some ineffective challenges before burying home the second bottom left corner.
Impressive were Golcar using the left flank well were there was plenty of space, Stocker and Lawrence exploited the space excellently.

Rovers substituted their captain at half time put on a winger made them look better balanced, early Golcar dominance couldn't beat Torrance though as the game opened up Rovers finally tested Lawlor he pulled off some great saves to stop experienced Battersby from bagging a couple. The next goal would be crucial sadly for the home support Golcar got it.
Penalty, Torrance saved the kick but couldn't stop Stor from scoring. Game over with about 25 to go. Rovers battled away more decent saves by Lawlor and a header from a corner was cleared from the line by a United defender. In the end it was the right result although Rovers should take heart from the second half performance and the fact they made several good chances.


For anoraks only

The attendence was 160 which was probably better than the norm given Bolton were at home five miles away but can't get into league games.

[themaclad]

Forgot to put in the report the only happen at non league incident.
At half time the Golcar lads were taking thne usual aimless shoot at goal warm up at the top end of the ground, one hapless attempt sailed over the bar, over the safety netting at the back of the ground, when he re entered the atmosphere and plunged to a halt on after the sound of breaking glass from the houses behind, needless to say they didn't get their ball back

[themaclad]

Thought about going to a game the fact it was tipping down, considered Lancaster all ticket game, Longridge went due to the Vid could have gone back to Atherton LR but that was abandoned, stayed in whilst local team Wyre Villa drew 3-3.