Walmsley winner keeps Thornton Cleveleys in hunt

THEO HEWSON-BETTS takes a look at the weekend's fixtures as the battles for promotion continue to hot up across each division.

Thornton Cleveleys find themselves level on points with top team Euxton Villa in the Premier Division but with a crucial game in hand following this weekend’s victory over Burscough Richmond.

Dom Lawson and Lewis Walmsley seemed to have won the game before the half-hour had ticked by only for Burscough to get back into it through the finishes of Billy Whittle and Ross Alymer.

It took Thornton right up until the final whistle before they got their winner, Walmsley bagging his second of the game in the 92nd minute to keep Euxton looking over their shoulder.

Villa, despite the increasing pressure, kept their heads to dismantle Tempest United to the tune of a 4-0 thrashing.

Alex Colquhoun opened the scoring before the break, with Patrick Bibby continuing his fine season with a goal just after half-time.

Lewis Swarbrick and Joey Mullen made the win convincing and Euxton still have a 14-goal advantage over second-placed Thornton.

A cracking game took place between CMB and Blackpool Wren Rovers this weekend, with two hat-tricks settling a 3-3 draw between the sides currently sat 10th and fourth in the Premier Division table.

Dylan Winstanley got the triple for CMB with Jack Arrowsmith on target three times for the visiting Wren Rovers.

Coppull United put in a strong away performance at Poulton and recorded a 4-1 win.

Goals from Cameron Murphy, Louis Barrow, Jack Ramshaw and Nathan Lindley all scored for Coppull before the 55th minute.

With the win essentially tied up, Coppull let their dominance slip and conceded a penalty with 10 minutes remaining in the game, which was converted by George Byrne for Poulton.

Fulwood Amateurs also won 4-1 this Saturday, Slyne-with-Hest the unfortunate victims.

This was a game that was perhaps more competitive than the scoreline suggests.

Brad Fox had scored Fulwood’s opener in the second minute but Martin Enow had levelled for Slyne within a minute to keep the game in the balance.

It took until the 69th minute for Fulwood to net their second through Lucas Weaver, before Oliver Molloy and Guy Hall scored in quick succession following the 80th minute to hammer home the visiting team’s advantage and move them up to fifth in the table.

Turton recorded an important win over Southport Hesketh to move up to 11 points for the season.

Kieron Sisson put Turton one up, only for Mark Houghton’s goal to level the arrears before half-time.

Sam Rigby and Luke Bradbury scored after the break to secure the three points.

A 3-2 thriller between Vickerstown and Lytham Town saw Scott McDonald score twice to help the home side keep pace with the top two and move above Blackpool Wren Rovers in the table.

Jackson Round was Vickerstown’s other scorer in a game that saw Tom Pickervance and Andrew Pearson convert for Lytham.

The other game in the Premier Division saw Hurst Green beat Whitehaven Amateurs 3-0

Division 1: Crooklands crumble under Horwich pressure

Horwich St Mary's Victoria lifted themselves off the bottom of the Division 1 table with a resounding victory over Crooklands Casuals. Horwich won the game 6-1 and, in doing so, doubled their goals scored this season.

Jordan Prescott got three of those goals, with Matthew Hancock, Rox Linney and Matthew Makinson making up the numbers for the travelling Horwich side.

David Woodburn got the consolation for Crooklands, who replace Horwich at the foot of the table, in the 50th minute.

At the other end of the division, Milnthorpe Corinthians extended their lead at the top of the table with a 3-1 win over Croston Sports.

Steven Yaswon got the ball rolling inside 10 minutes before Ricky Ball added a second.

It was 2-0 to the home side at the break and, despite Connor Davis getting one back for Croston before the game was over, the result was never massively in doubt.

Ben Thomas’ finish rounded the game off with 40 minutes still to play and Milnthorpe moved nine points clear.

The other big winner near the apex of Division 1 was Wyre Villa, who defeated Millom 6-0 to move within two points of Lostock St. Gerards and Eagley, who currently occupy 2nd and 3rd in the table (more on them later).

Nicholas Hepple and Oliver Evans each scored twice for the home team with Adam Stammers and Dion Holden also converting to make Wyre’s dominance clear.

With Lostock St Gerard’s game with Hesketh Bank postponed , Eagley had a real chance to move up to second with a visit to eighth-placed Askam United.

The trip didn’t go to plan though with Askam being 4-0 up with 20 minutes to play. Declan Baines and Sam Taylor both scoring before a 10th of the game had passed before Declan Baines’ second and a Callum Raynor finish put Askam well in the lead.

Reece Hardy and Jack Law restored an element of respectability for Eagley with their goals, but it will be viewed as an opportunity missed by the Eagley faithful.

Hawcoat Park also won their game 4-2. Brandon Collins scored twice for the home team, with Nathan Cloudsdale also netting from the penalty spot with Matthew Pickering scoring the fourth.

Haslingden St. Mary's game with Ulverston Rangers was also postponed.

Division 2: Hat-trick Hero Holmes in ELEVEN goal thriller

Cameron Holmes scored three goals in what was surely the game of the weekend as Carnforth Rangers beat Walney Island 6-5.

Walney took the lead initially through Zach Walker and Reece Craig doubled the advantage only five minutes later.

Goals from Connor Carson and Bailey Murrell made the score 4-0 before Carnforth Rangers’ players knew what had hit them.

But they woke up and pulled it back to 5-3 before the break as two from Cameron Holmes and one from Tom White narrowed the gap before Zach Walker’s second of the game widened it again.

Three goals were needed in the second half then, and when Joe Smith scored one in the 49th minute, it seemed as though the game was only going one way.

Cameron Holmes’ equaliser and then Jordan Darby’s 72nd minute winner rounded off a delightful comeback to see Carnforth keep pace with rampant Rossendale at the top of the table.

Rossendale themselves recorded another resounding victory with their 4-1 beating of Chipping.

Tom Hulme scored twice, with Scott Wylie and Luke Simpson’s first-half finishes putting an end to any Chipping resistance.

Storeys won a nervy three points thanks to a last-minute penalty scored by Dave Whitelaw after Wayne Beswick’s opener had been cancelled out by Dalton United’s Gareth Jones.

Kendal United beat Furness Rovers 5-2. Bailey Kenny (2), Ollie Cleasby and Ryan Close were on the Kendal scoresheet with Jordan Chubb and Reece Carlisle scoring for Furness.

Burnley United had to hold out to secure their three points away to Cartmel & District.

Burnley were 3-0 up after 55 minutes thanks to the goals of Reid Wolstenholme, Harris Tomlinson and Ben Uttley before Morgan Dennison and Graham Rhodes converted for Cartmel to set up a nervy closing period.

Burnley held on though and moved ahead of Walney Island as a result.

Aaron Fleming scored twice for Freckleton in their 4-4 draw with Charnock Richard Reserves after Jack Williams and Jack Hayton had opened the scoring for Freckleton.

Galgate and Garstang also participated in a goal-fest, Garstang taking the points following their 4-2 win.

Division 1 Reserve: A point apiece as both teams throw away leads

The only game contested in Division 1 Reserve this weekend was between Thornton Cleveleys Reserve and Lostock St Gerards Reserve.

Lostock took a 2-0 lead through goals from Harry Mahin and Aaron Houghton before the game was flipped on its head.

George McCauley and Alwyn Flynn levelled the game ahead of half-time and Thornton took the lead just after the break.

Mark Carlton levelled things for Lostock in the 77th minute though and the game ended there, with the points shared.

Division 2 Reserves: Super Cooper smashes Chipping Reserves.

Danny Cooper scored a hat-trick as Fulwood Amateurs A demolished Chipping Reserves 7-2.

Connor Mallett, Matthew Billington (2) and Kyle Sharkey were the other Fulwood goalscorers, whilst Jason Lamb will feel disappointed that his brace had little impact on the match for Chipping.

Hesketh Bank Reserves beat Galgate Reserves 3-1 thanks to a John Ashcroft double and a goal from Ash Disley. Regan Wane scored Galgate’s solitary goal of the afternoon.

Alex Stubbs' best efforts were in vain as Milnthorpe Corinthians Reserves beat Thornton Cleveleys A 2-1. Chris Harper and Caine McCartney scoring for the winning team

Where next?

Lawson double sees Thornton notch top-spot Eleven games beat the weather as THEO HEWSON-BETTS looks at the weekend's action, with pictures from Charnock Richard v Storeys provided by Steve Taylor photography.
Cup action: Wolfenden mauls Turton In a weekend of truncated league action, it seemed only fair that we keep you all up to date on the action from the various cup competitions that have been occupying our West Lancashire League teams.THEO-HEWSON BETTS reports.

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