Exciting 2026 awaits for five-star Haslingden St Mary's

A 5-2 win over Millom on Saturday extended their gap to fourth-placed Tempest United to five points, albeit the reigning league champions had their game postponed this weekend.

Luke Austin opened the scoring for Haslingden on 31 minutes, before Alfie Edmondson added a second just two minutes later.

Charlie Ridge added a quickfire double on the stroke of half time and then secured a hat trick midway through the second half.

Millom’s goals both came in the second half, scored by Oliver Pachul and Danny Pattinson. It was only their second away defeat this season.

“First half, we started off very well,” Pearson said on his side’s five-star display, “We had a bit of a lull in the middle of the half then ended it really well with the four goals.

“We scored another in the second half and then took our foot off the gas a little bit really, which disappointed us as a group and we were also disappointed not to come away with a clean sheet but overall, it was a good win and I would have taken a 5-2 if you had asked me earlier in the day.”

Haslingden didn’t have any fixed goals for this season aside from improving on last season, which Pearson is pleased that they are doing.

“We never really have goals but it’s just mainly to finish as high as we possibly can.

“We know exactly how stacked with talent we are and we just need to keep pushing the young lads as far as they can go and on to bigger things, really.

“This season is progress from last year, the annoying thing really though has been that the games we’ve not performed in are the games we feel we could have, and should have, got points from.

“Things that have gone against us this season have been more down to ourselves than what we deem as the opposition getting the better of us.

“Although we’ve done really well, I think we could have done even better.”

The club have come a long way in the five years since Pearson took over, taking them from a team who were rock bottom in Division One when COVID struck in 2020, to now being in and around the top of the league.

They won the Lancashire FA Amateur Shield last season and will face Millom again, this time away from home, in the third round of the Richardson Cup in February.

The aim now is to go even further.

“We wanted to get the team back into the Premier Division and push on from there, and we’ve done that, we’ve managed to improve every year.

“There is planning permission in place to improve the ground and improve the facilities, which are already pretty good.

“Long-term, the aim is to really push the club on because it’s been really well looked after by men who have been there for a long time.

“It’d be good to get people who can take what we’ve done, run with it and push the club on.

“We get a lot of people on the games because, especially on the nicer days, because it’s such a good setting and you get quite a lot of families coming down with kids, the footballers’ partners too are also coming along.

“We’ve always been a really well supported team who give players a platform to succeed, 12 of our past players have gone to play higher up the pyramid so we’re a bit of a hotbed for young talent.”

This year’s Christmas number one in the Premier Division is Eagley - they are 11 points clear at the top of the table after returning to winning ways, beating Rossendale 4-0.

Alfie Cowan scored a goal in either half and both Daniel Fairhurst and Kieran Lomax added to the scoresheet.

Burscough Richmond moved up to sixth after a narrow 1-0 win over Hurst Green.

An unfortunate own goal on 74 minutes was the difference between the two sides in a game full of endeavour but short on chances.

On a remarkably good surface despite the recent rain, Burscough had the majority of the possession in a cagey first half but couldn't breach the away side's defence, marshalled superbly by Tom Divver.

Both sides were restricted to long range efforts with goalkeepers Jack Lawrence and Harry Smith largely untroubled.

Perhaps sensing they could burgle a pre-Christmas win, both benches threw on fresh strikers with Josh Niblock and David Bowlin both causing problems for the tiring defences.

The only goal arrived when a cross from the right led to a bout of head tennis before an attempted header back to his keeper from six yards nestled in the bottom corner.

Sam Chatburn thought he had equalised minutes later when his zipping free-kick was expertly palmed away by an unsighted Lawrence.

Niblock's late angled drive crashed back off a post but Burscough saw out six minutes of injury time to usher in the new year with a win.

Hesketh Bank are another team with a healthy lead at the summit of their division - they are now 16 points clear of nearest challengers Ulverston Rangers in Division One thanks to a 3-0 win over Askam United.

Lewis Johnson, David Brookes and Matthew Coughlan were on the scoresheet as they finished the calendar year on a high.

Kendal County are now up to third after a 2-0 win at home over Turton, with goals from Kris Worsley and Matty Casson.

There was an entertaining 2-2 draw between two North Lancashire-based sides in Carnforth Rangers and Pause United.

Carnforth, who have many games in hand on teams above them, had a 100% home record prior to Saturday, and started well with a 15th minute strike from Joe Wilkinson.

Jack Preston equalised six minutes later before the hosts regained the advantage just before the break through Cameron Holmes.

Tom Knight made it all square once more on 54 minutes and that was the final goal action of a game between two sides who will doubtlessly be vying for promotion.

If you want a Christmas chuckle, check out West Lancs Wanderer’s X blog HERE for how Pause United boss Aaron Helliwell wants his side to discipline themselves over the festive period.

Freckleton earned a potentially vital point away to Croston Sports in another 2-2 draw between sides in close geographical proximity.

The hosts took the lead on four minutes through a John Sharples spot kick but Freckleton turned the game on its head, as Jack Williams tucked away a penalty of his own, before James Jermson put them ahead on 58 minutes.

However, the advantage only lasted five minutes though as Jack Halliwell equalised.

In Division Two, Mill Hill’s ruthless second half performance gave them a 6-1 win over Caton United.

Matthew Bulcock scored four: one in the opening 10 minutes and the other three in the final quarter of the game. Anthony Harkness and Callum Newton also found their way past Caton, whose sole goal came from a Jack Tipler penalty.

Leaders Stoneclough came away from Charnock Richard with a 5-2 win over their reserves side. Addison Lomax-Small netted a double just before the half time whistle, after which the table-toppers added a further three: Jumaane Meggoe, Joe Howlin and Aaqil Campbell with the goals.

Wes Enoma was Fulwood Amateurs Reserves’ hat trick hero in a 5-3 win over Euxton Villa Reserves.

It was a thrilling encounter between second and third, which Fulwood shaded 3-2 at the break through an Enoma double and Alfie Raymond, with Jacob Greenhalgh offering quick fire responses to both Fulwood’s first and third goals.

Enoma added his third on the hour and Aaron Beattie made it five soon after, before Charlie Simmons got one back for Euxton Villa late on.

Thornton Cleveleys Reserves produced a stunning comeback from three goals down to draw 3-3 at home to Appley Bridge.

Declan Ashhurst, Mattias Lokuta and Liam Hilton gave the visitors a seemingly comfortable three-goal cushion going into half time, but the hosts were a different beast in the second 45.

Dom Ritchie pulled one back on 61 minutes before Harry Fryer reduced the deficit to just one with just a couple of minutes of normal time on the clock.

In the most dramatic of circumstances, Reuben Mendonca equalised in the first minute of time added on. It was a festive spirit of a different kind from Thornton Cleveleys Res, who are up to fifth.