NWWRFL Premier Division
Manchester Stingers v Mossley Hill Athletic
Having halted a run of back-to-back defeats Manchester Stingers will be looking to build on a hard fought point away to Merseyrail last weekend when they welcome Mossley Hill Athletic to Kings Road.
Mossley Hill currently sit atop of the NWWRFL Premier Division, albeit with both Stockport County and FC United both holding a number of games in hand over them, having been relegated from the (now) Women’s National League last season. Since dropping into the NWWRFL they’ve been free scoring putting nine past Sir Tom Finney on the opening day of the season as well as six against Wigan Athletic and four against Accrington Girls & Ladies. In their first season back in the NWWRFL since being crowned Champions in 2010 Mossley Hill’s only league defeat was a 4-2 reverse away to Stockport County in their second game as a pair of draws against unbeaten Tranmere Rovers leaves them with 11 points from their opening six games.
Stingers head into the game 6th with four of their 7 points having come against Merseyrail with the other three a 2-1 win against Accrington. Victory on Sunday could see them just as high as third.
Stockport County v Penrith
Looking to take advantage of any dropped points by Mossley Hill are last season’s runners-up Stockport County who host Penrith at the SSV. Penrith make the 220 plus mile round trip on the back of three consecutive league defeats to Accrington, Wigan Athletic and the weekend’s opponents Stockport County. Their only points to date have come on the opening day as they defeated Sir Tom Finney 2-1.
In their way are a Stockport County side looking to go one better than last season and have enjoyed a 100% start to the season. The visit of struggling Penrith couldn’t have come at a better time for Stockport, having been moved forward in the calendar, as they face a potential early season title decider on October 28th when they face FC United. It will be their first meeting since last season’s League Challenge Cup final which saw FC run out 3-2 winners.
Elsewhere in the Premier Division…
The divisions other game see’s Wigan Athletic take on the unbeaten Tranmere Rovers. Tranmere have collected 9 points from their opening five games which score three or more in four of them including a 4-4 draw with Merseyrail, and scoring four each in wins against Sir Tom Finney and Manchester Stingers respectively.
Despite ultimately losing 4-2 away to Stockport County last weekend Wigan Athletic will be boosted by the fact their youthful side wasn’t overawed briefly drawing level at 2-2 before the hosts pulled away late on. The Latics will be hoping to match their excellent form against the division’s lower sides against the division’s better sides following their summer overhaul.
FC United were due to play Crompton in the Manchester Women’s Challenge Cup but received a bye due to the folding of the GMWFL team at the beginning of the season. Their league fixture originally saw them face Sir Tom Finney at home but the bottom side are in Lancashire Cup action.
Accrington host Sir Tom Finney in the Lancashire Women’s Challenge Cup whilst Fleetwood Town Wrens take on GMWFL side Langho.
NWWRFL Division One South
Altrincham v Warrington Wolverines
The big game of the weekend is undoubtedly at Mersey Valley where league leaders Altrincham host Warrington Wolverines with just three points separating the two sides. Altrincham, following their 3-0 loss away to Stockport County Blues last Sunday, will be desperate to get back to winning ways and demonstrate the form that took them to the top of the league with five straight wins.
Warrington’s only defeat so far came in a thrilling 4-3 loss to Curzon Ashton two weeks ago and having survived a late scare to earn three points against Wythenshawe Amateurs last weekend. They will need no additional motivation than playing the league leaders as the Wolverines prove themselves that they too boast the credentials to mount a title challenge in the post Wendy Booth era.
Curzon Ashton v Liverpool Feds Reserves
Should Altrincham slip up second place Curzon Ashton will have the chance to emerge as the league leaders come Sunday night should they overcome fourth placed Liverpool Feds Reserves at Failsworth Sports Centre. The Manchester Cup exit and 6-5 home defeat to Chester has seemingly been a minor blip for Curzon who’ve raced back into form with wings over City of Liverpool and Warrington Wolverines scoring 20 in the process. Last Sunday’s win offered a reminder of the talent on offer in Curzon’s young side and that this is a wide open division for promotion contenders.
Feds have shown the consistency often associated with Reserve sides as they kick started their season with an impressive 5-2 win over Stockport County Blues but also suffered defeats against Warrington Wolverines and Altrincham. Their 2-0 win over Chester two weeks meant they’d collected three wins from their opening five’s games before Sunday’s crunch clash.
Elsewhere in Division One South…
City of Liverpool look to put a challenging few weeks behind them when they welcome Northwich Vixens to Childwall School. They face a Northwich Vixens side who collected six points out of a possible 9 scoring 10 goals in the process. If City of Liverpool can secure their first three points in over a year it will keep them in touch with the middle of the pack but another vital three points for the Vixens will see them very much inserted into it.
The divisions final game see’s Chester host Stockport County Blues at Ellesmere Sports 3G as 5th meets 6th in a game where the two teams are separated by goal difference. Chester are currently winless in three having scored just the once but having played SIX consecutive away games will no doubt be boosted by playing at home in the NWWRFL for the first time. Blues on the other hand are unbeaten in two having drawn 3-3 away to Wythenshawe Amateurs before their win against Altrincham. Their other win came against Northwich Vixens as the Blues have started to find their form.
The Divisions other teams are in County Cup action as Wythenshawe Amateurs host NWWRFL Champions Burnley in the Lancashire Women’s Challenge Cup whilst West Didsbury & Chorlton host Didsbury in a local derby in the Manchester Women’s Challenge Cup second round.
NWWRFL Division One North
Blackpool v Leigh RMI
Expanding our coverage into Division One North for the first time this season the league’s largest division see’s 10 teams in action over five matches this Sunday.
With the weather largely taking hold of last weekend’s fixtures it was still one to forget for Leigh RMI as they were beaten 10-0 by Blackburn Community. The result mean five consecutive league defeats for Leigh, despite having started the season winning the first two, as they head to league leaders Blackpool this weekend.
By contrast since relegation from the Premier Division last season Blackpool have enjoyed an immensely impressive start to life in Division One North. Their season kicked off with a 4-0 win over also relegated Blackburn Community as they then collected 10 points from four consecutive away fixtures defeating Workington, Burscough and Cammell Laird. A 3-0 win over Carlisle United on October 7th means they’ve started the season with 16 from a possible 18 points.
Carlisle United v Bury
That defeat by Blackpool ended Carlisle United’s 100% start to the season which had previously seen them defeat Morecambe Reserves, Penwortham Town, Preston North End and Blackurn Community scoring 18 times in four games. With Blackburn Community in Lancashire Cup action they will look to take advantage and leapfrog them into second place. In their way is a Bury side who sit 10 points behind the leaders themselves with three games in hand after a start which has seen them play just three league games. Bury, who finished fourth last season, recovered from a 2-1 defeat on the opening day to Blackburn Community to record wins over Burscough and Workington as they too seek promotion.
Workington Reds v Cammell Laird 1907
Last season’s Runners-up Cammell Laird have brushed off the disappointment of missing on promotion to collect nine points from their first four games this season. They’ve enjoyed themselves in doing so as they scored five past Penwortham Town, four past Preston North End and EIGHT past Burscough Dynamo. Their only reverse came at the hands of second place Blackburn Community as they face the long road to Workington this Sunday.
Having safely secured a mid-table finish last season Workington Reds have made a slower start to the new campaign taking four points from their first four games. A 3-3 opening day draw against newly promoted Crosby was followed by the aforementioned defeat to Blackpool before beating Leigh RMI 4-1 away. However they’ve suffered consecutive defeats at the hands of Morecambe Reserves and Bury. Workington currently sit in 11th.
Elsewhere in Division One North…
Rounding off the weekends fixtures are bottom club Burscough who host newly promoted Crosby having collected no points from their opening fixtures. Crosby’s five points from five games have seen them draw with Workington and Morecambe with a 2-0 win over Preston a highlight so far. Penwortham Town host Preston North End with only goal difference separating the two teams. Newly promoted Penwortham have demonstrated that they’ve got to grips with life in the NWWRFL in emphatic fashion in recent weeks defeating Leigh RMI 7-2 and Morecambe Reserves 9-2. They’ve six points from their first give games. It’s the second meeting between the two sides this season as they met on the opening day with North End winning 3-2. A 3-1 win for Preston over Leigh RMI on October 7th bookended four straight league defeats.
Blackburn Community are in Lancashire Cup action as they travel to Haslingden.
Stealing Five Yards 