Queens Park’s love affair with the Veronica Conway Premier Cup continues despite a 5-3 reversal last week in a league game with Great Float S&S.
Queens Park lifted the trophy for the 13th time, running out winners 5-2. Queens got off to an early start with a marvellous goal from Ben Kerr after just 60 seconds. Great Float hit back to equalise a few minutes later. Queens Park were then awarded a penalty which was converted by Joe Levey, a third was added by Matty McGuire 30 minutes into the game.
Early into the second half Tom Black added a fourth. Float were not sunk yet and continued to battle hard. They got another goal back to make it 4-2. Then a wonderful pass after Float were caught a bit flat-footed in the 89th minute from Levi Chiduka sent Kian Hamm away who coolly finished making the score 5-3.
The second final of the Houlihan’s Birkenhead Sunday Association Football League took place in midweek in the Tony Smith Memorial Trophy, with a very young and energetic footballing side, Whitby Rangers, lifting the prestigious trophy. Whitby raced into a 3-0 lead by half time but Prenton FC tried in vain to get back into the game and the score remained at 3-0.
Premier Division league action saw Woodchurch Hotel register two more wins in their quest to lift the Ryan ‘Gigsy’ Atherton Trophy. Midweek saw them take revenge on Lancelyn Glenavon 3-1, who knocked them out of the Cheshire Sunday Cup and followed up with a solid 2-0 win over current Champions Rock Ferry Social with Josh Dures and Joe Caswell finding the net.
Woodchurch are still unbeaten and have drawn four games; those draws came in their first seven matches. They have won their last nine league games and have two games to go.
Dock AFC secured another maximum points haul to defeat Beechwood FC 2-0, thanks to efforts from Matty Carlin and Cameron McGregor. That result has almost killed off any realistic chance for the Beechwood boys. Dock are seven points behind but have two games in hand on Woodchurch with a possible title decider on 7 May.
It is smiles all round for Cheshire Cheese in The Maxwell Barbers Division One after two more wins moved them into pole position, after a solitary goal from Sam Hughes over Upton Town on Sunday and also a 5-1 success against promotion chasing and Tony Houlihan Memorial Cup Finalists Eastham Rangers Colts. Netting for Cheese last Thursday were Cam Nuttall, Sam Hughes (2), Anthony Evans, and Ewan McCready.
Eastham Rangers Colts (Nick Wakefield, Jim Ludbrook, Matty Howe, Nath Saunders, Dillon Thomas) returned to winning ways at the weekend at Bushell Athletic with a resounding 5-0 scoreline (pictured) after two league defeats. They are still in the hunt for one of the two promotion places to the elusive Premier Division. Anything can happen in this Division as there are that many permutations with two from five and teams beating their rivals.
The most notable was a rehearsal for next Sunday’s Presidents Cup Final after Shaun Weaver notched a fine double at JPL Jets 2-0 added to a narrow 4-3 result in midweek at Upton Town.
There have been mixed results lately for Wellington FC with a 2-1 loss at JPL Jets, but a solid 4-0 win at Wirral Radio, with Nathan Leyland, Billy Rainbow (2), and Paul Ellison bagging the all important goals. If third-placed Wellington win their game in hand, they will go top.
Action from Division Two saw Whitby Rangers climb the table romping to a 5-0 rout over Lions FC after Tom Ruffer led the way with a hat-trick, supported by strikes from Brad Bland and Matty Vickers. Whitby are co-favourites with Bedford FC (Dylan Doyle, Josh Tattler) who defeated Poulton Victoria S&S (Jack Gordon) in midweek 2-1.
It is looking like three from five in Division Three; AFC Rangers currently are in pole position on 45 points with three games to go after a Darren Caplin double over AFC Tima during the week. Hot on their heels is Old Parks FC (Adam Lamb, James Kirkham, Ashley Power) who dented Athletic VH‘s chances 3-0.
Oval FC (Ollie Nicholson, M. Simpson) enhanced their promotion prospects after putting paid to early season pacesetters West Kirby United 2-1 and last Tuesday denting Eastham Rangers‘ chances 1-0.
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: Bushell Grange Athletic FC (Red) v Eastham Rangers FC Colts (Yellow) – Credit: Bob Shaw
Premier Division
| # | Team | Pl | HW | HD | HL | AW | AD | AL | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| 1. | WOODCHURCH HOTEL FC | 16 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 46 | 15 | 31 | 40 |
| 2. | BEECHWOOD FC | 17 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 40 | 20 | 20 | 37 |
| 3. | DOCK FC | 14 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 39 | 17 | 22 | 33 |
| 4. | ROCK FERRY SOCIAL | 17 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 38 | 30 | 8 | 32 |
| 5. | QUEENS PARK FC | 16 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 34 | 32 | 2 | 20 |
| 6. | GREAT FLOAT SPORTS & SOCIAL FC | 13 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 31 | 29 | 2 | 17 |
| 7. | NESTON NOMADS | 16 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 25 | 35 | -10 | 15 |
| 8. | LANCELYN GLENAVON | 16 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 24 | 42 | -18 | 13 |
| 9. | CORSAIR PV | 15 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 20 | 34 | -14 | 9 |
| 10. | KRCT BIDSTON FC | 18 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 27 | 70 | -43 | 7 |
Division One
| # | Team | Pl | HW | HD | HL | AW | AD | AL | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| 1. | CHESHIRE CHEESE FC | 17 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 58 | 16 | 42 | 37 |
| 2. | JPL JETS | 17 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 50 | 20 | 30 | 36 |
| 3. | WELLINGTON FC | 16 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 41 | 23 | 18 | 35 |
| 4. | BUSHELL ATHLETIC | 17 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 31 | 23 | 8 | 30 |
| 5. | RIG MOVE SERVICES FC | 14 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 26 | 21 | 5 | 26 |
| 6. | EASTHAM RANGERS COLTS | 14 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 32 | 25 | 7 | 25 |
| 7. | UPTON TOWN FC | 15 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 38 | 29 | 9 | 19 |
| 8. | WIRRAL RADIO FC | 16 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 22 | 43 | -21 | 18 |
| 9. | AFC SHAFTES | 18 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 29 | 51 | -22 | 15 |
| 10. | MSC EASTHAM | 18 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 13 | 43 | -30 | 10 |
| 11. | WOODCHURCH ROVERS | 18 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 19 | 65 | -46 | 6 |
Division Two
| # | Team | Pl | HW | HD | HL | AW | AD | AL | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| 1. | BEDFORD FC | 16 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 66 | 23 | 43 | 43 |
| 2. | BARCODE FC | 19 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 45 | 28 | 17 | 36 |
| 3. | PRENTON FC | 17 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 60 | 22 | 38 | 35 |
| 4. | WHITBY RANGERS FC | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 10 | 39 | 34 |
| 5. | SAUGHALL FC | 16 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 52 | 35 | 17 | 29 |
| 6. | EAGLE & STIRRUP FC | 16 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 28 | 21 | 7 | 26 |
| 7. | LIONS FC | 16 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 25 | 36 | -11 | 20 |
| 8. | POULTON VICS S&S | 18 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 26 | 38 | -12 | 19 |
| 9. | BARKERS ARMCHAIR FC | 19 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 29 | 64 | -35 | 15 |
| 10. | VICTORIA COLTS | 18 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 20 | 61 | -41 | 8 |
| 11. | GLENAVON ATHLETIC | 19 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 12 | 74 | -62 | 1 |
Division Three
| # | Team | Pl | HW | HD | HL | AW | AD | AL | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| 1. | AFC RANGERS | 21 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 54 | 30 | 24 | 45 |
| 2. | OLD PARKS FC | 19 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 53 | 25 | 28 | 41 |
| 3. | WEST KIRBY UNITED | 24 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 48 | 33 | 15 | 41 |
| 4. | OVAL FC | 20 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 42 | 27 | 15 | 39 |
| 5. | HIGHER BEBINGTON KELMA | 19 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 52 | 33 | 19 | 32 |
| 6. | EASTHAM RANGERS | 17 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 34 | 25 | 9 | 29 |
| 7. | ATHLETIC VH | 18 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 29 | 26 | 3 | 27 |
| 8. | WIRRAL ATHLETIC | 21 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 47 | 67 | -20 | 26 |
| 9. | AFC TIMA | 20 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 41 | 49 | -8 | 24 |
| 10. | PARKGATE PANTHERS | 20 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 40 | 56 | -16 | 19 |
| 11. | NORTH WIRRAL SAINTS | 20 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 41 | 40 | 1 | 17 |
| 12. | PARKGATE ST GERMAIN | 20 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 22 | 37 | -15 | 16 |
| 13. | AFC RAEBURN | 21 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 17 | 72 | -55 | 5 |
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