Tuesday, 6th January 2009

News

11th October 2008
Review Of The Week

The UniBond League enjoyed a great day in the FA Cup on Saturday with First Division DURHAM CITY leading the way giving away around forty places in the Pyramid pecking order plus ground advantage to Conference North play-off hopefuls Stalybridge Celtic before hitting their opponents for a sensational six goals.

BOSTON UNITED also pulled off a fantastic away win over Conference North leaders Southport whilst both EASTWOOD TOWN and ILKESTON TOWN took Conference opposition to replays with the former twice coming from behind to level terms against another side in the Conference play-off spots Harrogate Town.

Not far behind Durham for goals were NANTWICH TOWN who hit five at Whitley Bay whilst RETFORD UNITED also disposed of Northern League opposition with a win over Newcastle Benfield. First Division South BELPER TOWN beat Premier Division PRESCOT CABLES 4-1 with the latter finishing with nine men and another First Division South club SHEFFIELD FC held unbeaten top tier outfit GUISELEY in a six goal thriller.

The all First Division North Tameside "derby" produced seven goals to entertain a crowd of almost 500 before CURZON ASHTON edged past MOSSLEY. With a guaranteed seven clubs through to the 4th Qualifying Round the League has a great chance of doubling last season's four clubs who made it through to that stage with NEWCASTLE BLUE STAR still to play in addition to the midweek replays.

Back on domestic territory two wins in the week courtesy of goals from Tyrone Barnett and Ross Dyer in both games HEDNESFORD TOWN have gone top of the Premier Division two points clear of Ilkeston who have two games in hand. Then its really tight with MARINE three points back in third and just one point clear of four other teams.

At the opposite end OSSETT TOWN climbed out of the relegation slots with a stoppage time winner after they had been pulled back to all square from two up by MATLOCK TOWN but WORKSOP TOWN despite ending a run of three consecutive defeats with a goalless draw at KENDAL TOWN couldn't end their goal drought which sees them now six league games since they found the net.

With First Division North leaders NEWCASTLE BLUE STAR on FA Cup duty tomorrow both BAMBER BRIDGE and OSSETT ALBION missed out on the chance to go top. "Brig" lost at home to LANCASTER CITY who go fourth and Albion could only draw at ROSSENDALE UNITED whilst CLITHEROE maintained their good run with victory over COLWYN BAY.

Previously without a home point in four attempts RADCLIFFE BOROUGH put that stat behind them in emphatic style with a 6-0 win against bottom side SALFORD CITY. The two top teams in the First Division South, RUSHALL OLYMPIC and CARLTON TOWN both took full advantage of home games against the two bottom clubs to retain their positions.

FA Trophy Improvement From UniBond Clubs

The UniBond League First Division clubs showed an improvement in last Saturday's Preliminary Round with eighteen winners from the nineteen ties as against only eleven winners from fifteen ties last season.

Those eleven winners picked up £1,000 each with this season's successful sides taking home double that amount bringing some £36,000 in to the League as against just £11,000 last time thanks to the FA increasing the prize money this time round in addition to the extra success on the playing field.

The Premier Division clubs now enter the fray with the 1st Qualifying Round next Saturday but amazingly none of them have been drawn against outside opposition. In contrast no fewer than eight of the First Division survivors meet teams from outside the UniBond League but they have done rather well in the draw as six of them are drawn at home.

The lower tier hasn't, however, been as lucky in the draw in the ties where they meet Premier Division sides having to concede ground advantage in addition to status in eight of the twelve games.

There are five all Premier Division ties and two all First Division games with the full draw as it effects UniBond clubs on the fixture page.

The pick of the draw is perhaps the Eastwood Town v Ilkeston Town tie whilst another intriguing encounter sees FC United of Manchester at home to Radcliffe Borough after the two clubs met one another in two Cup Finals last season.

FC United took revenge on Borough when they lifted the UniBond League President's Cup after Borough had beaten them in the Manchester FA Premier Cup a few days earlier.

Seven Left Standing In FA Youth Cup

The Unibond League has seven clubs still standing in the FA Youth Cup and will have at least one representative in the First Round Proper when the Football League sides enter the competition as Curzon Ashton and Cammell Laird meet one another after Curzon enjoyed a 2-1 success over Burscough (a club that has a great affinity with the FA Youth Cup) whilst Lairds beat Colne 3-2.

Boston United crushed UniBond colleagues Carlton Town 5-0 to earn a crack at Oadby whilst in one of the other all UniBond 2nd Qualifying Round ties Wakefield edged out Garforth Town 4-3 and will now entertain Liversedge.

Nantwich Town's reward for winning 3-0 at Warrington Town is a home tie against former Football League side Wrexham who beat Marine 4-2 in the previous round. After taking a penalty shoot out to defeat AFC Telford United Hednesford Town are at home again this time to Stourbridge but Worksop Town have to travel to Yorkshire Amateurs after a 3-0 victory against Eccleshill.

UniBond League Challenge Cup Draw

The draw for the Second Round of this season's League Challenge Cup draw has been made and is as follows -

BAMBER BRIDGE or CHORLEY v SALFORD CITY
BELPER TOWN v STOCKSBRIDGE PS
COLWYN BAY v SKELMERSDALE U
FC HALIFAX TOWN or CURZON ASHTON v CLITHEROE or GARFORTH TOWN
KIDSGROVE ATHLETIC v RUSHALL OLYMPIC
LOUGHBOROUGH DYN v STAMFORD
RETFORD UNITED v NEWCASTLE BS
ROSSENDALE UTD or WOODLEY SPORTS v RADCLIFFE BORO'
SHEFFIELD FC v DURHAM CITY
SPALDING UNITED v SHEPSHED DYN.

The ten winners will join the 22 Premier Division clubs in the hat for the Third Round draw.

Goole AFC Face Another Points Deduction

After being deducted a point for playing an ineligible player in their opening game of the season at Kidsgrove Athletic which ended in a 3-3 draw Goole AFC are now facing a far more serious potential ten point deduction after the League received confirmation this week that the club have entered into a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA).

A CVA is defined under football rules as an "Insolvency Event" which attracts a ten point deduction and the matter will be considered by the Board at their next meeting scheduled for November.

Sharpe Move For Railway

First Division North strugglers Harrogate Railway have appointed the experienced Phil Sharpe to their vacant managerial post following the departure of previous incumbent Dave Morgan whose side took just two points from ten games.

Sharpe has plenty of experience at this level of the game after managing Frickley Athletic and Bradford Park Avenue and having been Assistant boss at Northwich Victoria under Neil Redfearn.

Railway will be pondering the age old saying "What a difference a year makes" for this time last season they were moving solidly towards FA Cup glory and a Second Round Proper FA Cup tie against the then Football League club Mansfield Town that was televised live as BBC's "Match of the Day".

Now Caretaker Boss Quits At Grantham

Having relieved manager John Wilkinson of his managerial duties less than a fortnight ago Grantham Town were rocked this week by the decision of Mick Hogg, who the "Gingerbreads" had appointed to act as Caretaker Manager, to quit.

Club Chairman Roger Booth said "I was very surprised when he rang to say he no longer wanted the position due to the club speaking to other people about the vacant manager's job"

Reserve team boss Tony Taylor, who headed up training for a few days until Hogg's brief tenure, again takes over until a permanent appointment is made. Mr Booth added "We've already had a couple of applications but we want to give people chance to apply and by advertising the post it takes the pressure of us to make a quick appointment".

Jack's The Lad For Nantwich

Premier Division new boys Nantwich Town have signed the experienced St Vincent international Rodney Jack. The 36 year old has made approaching four hundred appearances in the full time game including around a century of games for his first club Torquay United, fifty or so for Rushden & Diamonds and some two hundred for Crewe Alexandra plus a short stint at Oldham Athletic.

He also picked up more than seventy international caps for St Vincent. More recently he has had spells with Republic of Ireland side Waterford and Southport.

Blade Runner Signs On For Sheffield

Ex Sheffield United Scholar Jordan Eagers has signed for Sheffield FC after returning from playing for Finnish Premier Division side IFK Mariehamn for whom the youngster signed after spending three seasons with the "Blades".

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