Premier Division Review 26th March 2016

BLACKPOOL WREN ROVERS may be 10 points adrift of leaders Fulwood Amateurs in the race for the Premier Division championship of the West Lancs League, but that didn’t stop them enjoying their best result of the season, away at Crooklands Casuals in a 7-0 romp (writes Howard Jones).
Wrens title hopes may well rest with others, but you wouldn’t have noticed it as this game in the Cumbrian highlands was all but over bar the shouting before half-time.
Dan Pickering got the Fylde side on their way after 13 minutes, before ex-AFC Fylde FA Vase Wembley hero Michael Clark added number two 20 minutes later (33) and with goals from Carl Eastwood (35) and Tony Pearson (43) as well before the break, the home side were up against it.
Prolific Wrens scorer Max Landless with two (77 and 85) and top scorer Gary Pett who also got in on the act four minutes from time (86) completed the rout that leaves Casuals deep in relegation worries.
At Slyne there was a rare shock for champions Charnock Richard who lost for the first time in the league since August 11 going down 4-2 in a six goal thriller at Bottomdale Road after record scorer Carl Grimshaw had given them the boost of a first minute lead.
That lead didn’t last long as Jamie Hastings equalised for the home side and then added another 10 minutes later (15) before an own goal levelled things five minutes before the break for Charnock.
But up popped Jack Preston 60 seconds later to fire Slyne back into the driving seat and when Danny Dixon bagged the home sides fourth 10 minutes from time there was a rare defeat for Andy Westwell’s side starring them in the face.
Mind you Charnock still have the bookies backing them for the their seventh title as they prepare a final push that will see them start next season a step further up the football pyramid.
With five games in hand and even after this defeat their destiny is still in their own hands.
For Slyne it was the perfect reply to their late 3-2 mid-week defeat at Longridge.
And talking of Longridge they cruised into a five goal lead just after half-time against an Eagley side who had defender Jack Horan sent off for a 28th minute tackle on Ash Ball inside the box that saw Brad Carsley add to his amazing goal tally this season with a penalty conversion in the aftermath. It was his 30th league goal of the campaign.
And Ball who had been hacked down for the penalty added number two for the home side after 41 minutes with a neat finish and at this stage it looked odds on Longridge grabbing their second home win in four days having seen off Slyne in mid-week.
Then Carsley headed in his second on half-time and when the teams turned around for the second-half in driving rain and hailstones there was a very real chance this game might not go the 90 minutes.
Ryan McKenna poached an early fourth for Town just after the restart (46) and when he added his second and Town’s fifth on 53 minutes there was no way back for the visitors who had had just one shot on target to this stage through player-boss Simon Whaley in the first-half.
But conditions at the Mike Riding Ground deteriorated so quickly that on the hour Bolton referee Bilal Moosa called the game demonstrating to the crowd that conditions underfoot were getting ridiculous - and they were!
For Town it was another hammer blow to their title hopes as in two games against the Bolton side this season (they beat them 7-3 at Dunscar Bridge in September) all they have to show for their 12 goals against their Bolton opponents is -6 points having played an ineligible player in the first staging at Eagley.
This current game will now go before the management committee to determine if it will have to be re-staged but with the home side five goals to the good with just 30 minutes to play and playing against 10 man Eagley it’s doubtful if the result would ever have been turned around.
Three second-half goals at Burnley United saw Garstang register their biggest win on the road this season thanks to goals from Jack Swindlehurst on 49 minutes, Matt Poole on 70 minutes and on the final whistle by Tom Graham (90).
Southport Hesketh are having a bit of a revival too and their recent good form continued at bottom club Lostock St. Gerards where Steve Cook, Brad Shearwood and two from Chris Bates won them the points in only their second away win on the road this term.
At Hesketh Bank Danny Birkby got his side a 16th minute start against visiting Vickerstown who equalised after 31 minutes through top scorer Danny Keenan, but Adam Thompson wrapped up the points for the Station Road side three minutes before half-time in a 2-1 win.
Another side in a rich vein of form going into next weekends Richardson Cup ties is Thornton Cleveleys.
They came from a goal behind at home to Coppull United to claim the points in a five goal thriller.
Both teams exchanged goals within the opening five minutes, first prolific striker Mitch Leece netted for United after four minutes and then Brett Dawson pulled the home side level a minute later (5).
Martin Kershaw for Coppull and Dan Mottram for Thornton again exchanged goals within seconds after 27 minutes before up popped Stuart Dagger after 66 minutes to finally thrust home the winner for the home side.
And finally on a day of mixed weather around the league, leaders Fulwood Amateurs posted their intention to hang onto their huge 10 points lead at the top by defeating local rivals Euxton Villa at Runshaw Lane where earlier in the week a road fatality had cast a cloud over proceedings locally.
And it took two ex-Longridge players to do the damage and as early as the opening four minutes as first Rick Coar struck less than a minute after kick-off and his team mate Leon McLoughlin added a second three minutes later to suggest that the Amateurs are anything but in their quest for their first Premier Division title since 1999.
An own goal after 66 minutes finally secured Fulwood the points and they now lead the chase on 61 points but with just four of their games left to play they may well be looking over their shoulders in the title run-in!