There were wonderful returns in the Cheshire County Football Association Sunday Cup quarter-finals for clubs in the Houlihan’s Birkenhead Sunday Association Football League.
The most notable was Lancelyn Glenavon who saw off the challenge of AFC Prestbury with a resounding 5-0 win and a superb all-round performance thanks to goal-getters Dan Dixon, Chris Lewis, Conor Courtnell (2), and Joe Downey.
Lancelyn Glenavon are now due to meet Woodchurch Hotel in the semi-finals who beat fellow Premier Division rivals Corsair PV after Jordan Deer, Michael Burkey, and Josh Dures all netted with a 3-0 success.
Current cup holders, Dock AFC, also booked their place into the last four with a solid 2-0 at Queens Bredbury with strikes from Haydn Cooper and Joe Brandon. Dock AFC were assisted with a fine goalkeeping display from keeper Will Ebbrell who made two magnificent point blank saves – games are won from all over the pitch, including a goalkeeper.
Dock are scheduled to play their semi-final on Sunday 12 March against George & Dragon who unfortunately sank Great Float S&S 5-0.
Ethan Mort and Lewis Simpson steered Higher Bebington Kelma into The Wirral District Football Association Sunday Junior Cup after recording a narrow 2-1 win at fellow Division Three rivals Athletic VH. They await the winners from the second semi-final of Eastham Rangers and Bromborough Athletic.
Rock Ferry Social earned maximum points after a solitary goal from Keiron Hughes was all it took to separate the sides. The Ferry men are now level on points with Woodchurch Hotel FC at the helm of the Premier Division and are not giving up the chase to lift the Ryan ‘Gigsy’ Atherton Memorial Trophy for the second successive season. The Woodchurch gang are just ahead on goal difference and have a game in hand,
Beechwood FC and Dock AFC are also close on their heels and will aim to be in the mix at the business end of the season.
Bushell Athletic are looking for a return to The Premier Division after two seasons out of the top flight after beating Wirral Radio (Matt Lydiate) 2-1. Netting for Bushell were Dean Fleming and Ben Glover.
It was a close shave for Wellington FC in the Maxwell Barbers Division One defeating Upton Town (OG) 2-1, Ellis Byrne with a double for Wellington.
Rig Move accounted for Woodchurch Rovers thanks to a Daniel Page strike. There were no hair-raising moments for Cheshire Cheese, but smiles all round at unlucky AFC Shaftes 10-1 with Cameron Nuttall leading the way bagging four, a brace from Lorcan Rogan and singles from San Hughes, Sam Parker, Adam Ledgerton, and Ant Evans.
Leon Jones and John Mearns bagged a pair each for Division Two leaders Bedford FC to tame Lions FC 4-0.
Second-placed Prenton FC also registered a 4-0 scoreline against Eagle and Stirrup; Jake Whittaker (2), Matty O’Shea, and Callum Riley were on the scoresheet,
Saughall FC (Adam Walker (2), Tom Ashcroft, Joe Unsworth, Tommy Lamb, Owen Kelsey) got back to winning ways with a comfortable 6-2 result with Barkers Armchair FC.
Back-to-back wins for Poulton Victoria S&S have steered them away from relegation places as the won 3-1 at Glenavon Athletic. Netting for Vics were Tom Wright, Tom Price, and Ryan Mason.
Division Three leaders and draw specialists, West Kirby United, could only draw a blank with Eastham Rangers 0-0, while Old Parks FC (Daryl Hellon, Declan Wray) continue to mount a challenge and title charge and are within a point of pole position with three games in hand. Their victims were Parkgate St Germain.
AFC Rangers‘ (Lewis McKnight, Billy Newman) current run of form continues with a firm 2-0 score over AFC Raeburn FC and are also looking for promotion, with a possible late title challenge.
Ben Dunn (2) and Frazier Lucking bagged the all-important goals for North Wirral Saints in their 3-0 eclipse of Wirral Athletic.
The Houlihan’s Birkenhead Sunday Association Football League are now accepting applications from new prospective clubs to join the League for the 2023-2024 season, a limited number of vacancies are available also a proposed Youth Division for the same season that is scheduled to start in August 2024, any Youth clubs that wish to enter two teams can do so, one team will be known as Youth U/18’s and a second team is normally known as a Colts U/17’s, please visit the League website for contact details.
Images: AFC Shaftes (Blue) v Cheshire Cheese (Red) – Credit: Bob Shaw
Premier Division
| # | Team | Pl | HW | HD | HL | AW | AD | AL | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| 1. | WOODCHURCH HOTEL FC | 12 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 34 | 14 | 20 | 28 |
| 2. | ROCK FERRY SOCIAL | 13 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 35 | 23 | 12 | 28 |
| 3. | BEECHWOOD FC | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 12 | 13 | 24 |
| 4. | DOCK FC | 10 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 15 | 10 | 21 |
| 5. | QUEENS PARK FC | 11 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 27 | 15 | 12 | 19 |
| 6. | GREAT FLOAT SPORTS & SOCIAL FC | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 21 | 16 | 5 | 14 |
| 7. | NESTON NOMADS | 12 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 26 | -12 | 9 |
| 8. | LANCELYN GLENAVON | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 33 | -16 | 9 |
| 9. | CORSAIR PV | 12 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 16 | 28 | -12 | 6 |
| 10. | KRCT BIDSTON FC | 14 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 22 | 54 | -32 | 4 |
Division One
| # | Team | Pl | HW | HD | HL | AW | AD | AL | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| 1. | BUSHELL ATHLETIC | 13 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 29 | 13 | 16 | 29 |
| 2. | JPL JETS | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 9 | 26 | 24 |
| 3. | CHESHIRE CHEESE FC | 10 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 41 | 11 | 30 | 22 |
| 4. | WELLINGTON FC | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 29 | 18 | 11 | 20 |
| 5. | EASTHAM RANGERS COLTS | 10 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 23 | 16 | 7 | 19 |
| 6. | RIG MOVE SERVICES FC | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 16 | 1 | 14 |
| 7. | UPTON TOWN FC | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 13 | 8 | 12 |
| 8. | WIRRAL RADIO FC | 11 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 18 | 28 | -10 | 12 |
| 9. | MSC EASTHAM | 13 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 42 | -31 | 7 |
| 10. | AFC SHAFTES | 12 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 13 | 44 | -31 | 3 |
| 11. | WOODCHURCH ROVERS | 11 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 12 | 39 | -27 | 2 |
Division Two
| # | Team | Pl | HW | HD | HL | AW | AD | AL | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| 1. | BEDFORD FC | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 10 | 33 | 28 |
| 2. | PRENTON FC | 12 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 46 | 9 | 37 | 26 |
| 3. | BARCODE FC | 12 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 21 | 17 | 4 | 20 |
| 4. | WHITBY RANGERS FC | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 4 | 24 | 16 |
| 5. | SAUGHALL FC | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 35 | 27 | 8 | 16 |
| 6. | LIONS FC | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 16 |
| 7. | POULTON VICS S&S | 11 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 18 | 28 | -10 | 12 |
| 8. | BARKERS ARMCHAIR FC | 11 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 16 | 41 | -25 | 12 |
| 9. | EAGLE & STIRRUP FC | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 14 | -5 | 10 |
| 10. | VICTORIA COLTS | 10 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 39 | -27 | 5 |
| 11. | GLENAVON ATHLETIC | 12 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 5 | 49 | -44 | 0 |
Division Three
| # | Team | Pl | HW | HD | HL | AW | AD | AL | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| 1. | WEST KIRBY UNITED | 17 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 37 | 22 | 15 | 31 |
| 2. | OLD PARKS FC | 14 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 40 | 22 | 18 | 30 |
| 3. | AFC RANGERS | 13 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 31 | 19 | 12 | 26 |
| 4. | OVAL FC | 12 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 28 | 19 | 9 | 21 |
| 5. | AFC TIMA | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 30 | 27 | 3 | 20 |
| 6. | EASTHAM RANGERS | 11 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 20 | 16 | 4 | 19 |
| 7. | HIGHER BEBINGTON KELMA | 12 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 29 | 26 | 3 | 16 |
| 8. | PARKGATE PANTHERS | 12 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 30 | 25 | 5 | 15 |
| 9. | ATHLETIC VH | 12 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 21 | 19 | 2 | 14 |
| 10. | NORTH WIRRAL SAINTS | 12 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 23 | 27 | -4 | 11 |
| 11. | WIRRAL ATHLETIC | 14 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 25 | 54 | -29 | 10 |
| 12. | PARKGATE ST GERMAIN | 12 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 16 | 27 | -11 | 9 |
| 13. | AFC RAEBURN | 13 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 15 | 42 | -27 | 5 |
Why not follow birkenhead.news on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter? You can also send story ideas to news@birkenhead.news
Subscribe to our FREE newsletter