Houlihan’s Birkenhead Sunday Association Football League round-up, 19 February 2023

The Tony Houlihan Memorial Challenge Cup round 4 took centre stage in The Houlihan’s Birkenhead Sunday Association Football League.

The game of the day was at Vauxhall Motors sports ground the current home of Rock Ferry Social. It was second versus third in the Premier Division, with the game evenly balanced at 2-2 and with five minutes remaining it was former Ferry man Charlie Macinnes who hit a stunning volley for Beechwood FC to seal a place in Round five 3-2. Rob Cull and Owen McMahon were also on the mark for Beechwood FC. Social’s scorers were Joe Whittle and Connor Doyle.

Another cracker of a game was The Maxwell Barbers Division One leaders hosting Premier Division leaders Bushell Athletic (Dean Fleming, Ben Glovers 2) held out to hold Woodchurch Hotel 3-3 at 90 minutes, only for Woodchurch Hotel to take the tie 3-2.

Ten-time winners, Queens Park, eased through with a 4-0 win over Upton Town, thanks to Aaron Rainbow, Liam Owen, and a brace from Aaron Gerard.

Also through to the last eight are Great Float S&S who also recorded the same 4-0 scoreline at Division Three promotion hopefuls Old Parks.

Dock AFC, who have lifted the Challenge Cup on seven occasions, made progress after Ryan Smith, Danny Cross, and Adam Lea all netted at Corsair PV, with a late replacement referee having a fabulous game.

Strikes from Joe Fernyhough, Callum Doyle, Josh McEwen, Andy Henry, and Daniel Woodcock for Rig Move saw off AFC Shaftes in an all Division One clash, 5-2, with consolation replies from Luke Rollings and Ben Liegeman.

There was no giant-killing act for Wellington FC (Ellis Jones, Matty Molyneux) after narrowly dipping 3-2 to KRCT Bidston (Liam Siddorn, Leon Clarke, Ben Kearney).

Eastham Rangers Colts (Sean Hayes) on their maiden season from the Maxwell Barbers Division One who secured a place in the last 16 as they are one round behind after a giant-killing act who outpointed Lancelyn Glenavon (Connor Courtnell) from the Premier Division. The game finished all square at 1-1 only for Colts to win the game 4-2 on penalties.

Cheshire Cheese cemented a place in round four of The David Tacy Cup, 3-1, at the expense of Eastham Rangers (Martin Marshall). Goal getters for Cheshire Cheese FC were Sam Hughes, Carl Mullen, and Lee Bridge. They will be joined in the hat by Prenton FC who cruised through to an 8-0 win after Luke Wynne notched a fine treble supplemented by further strikes from Jake Whittaker (2), Tom Molloy, Dean Wylde, and Iain Bennett.

Also into the quarter-finals are Whitby Rangers, thanks to Brad Bland, Matty Vickers, Tom Ruffer, and Gabe Kwateng who defeated Barcode FC (Danny France) 4-1.

There was just one game in the Maxwell Barbers Division One as JPL Jets (Taylor Davies) was trimmed back to a 1-1 draw by Woodchurch Rovers‘ Liam Guy.

With most of the top teams from Division Two playing in the various domestic cup competitions, Saughall FC (Tom Ashcroft) shared the points with Poulton Victoria S&S (Jack Gordon) 1-1. Likewise, between Victoria Colts (Mike Williams) and Barkers Armchair (Dom Thomas), who traded goals and points.

Jake Byrne, James Lally, and Callum Jones all netted for Eagle Stirrup to put three valuable points on the board after a 3-2 success over Glenavon Athletic.

West Kirby United returned to winning ways to maintain the top spot in Division Three, with a narrow 3-2 win over AFC Tima. Finding the net with the all-important goals were Thirusel Van Akil, Robert Douglas, and Robert Nairn with Mike Redgrift and Phil Bibby replying for Tima.

AFC Rangers enhanced their chances of promotion back to Division Two after a long break with a Lewis McKnight double in a 2-1 tussle at North Wirral Saints (Ben Dunn).

Athletic VH also registered the same scoreline at Parkgate Panthers, as did Wirral Athletic who had Harry Huggins and Dylan Palmer on the scoresheet at AFC Raeburn.

Higher Bebington Kelma did their chances no harm with an outside chance of being in the mix at the business end to the season accounting for Parkgate St Germain 3-0 with Connor Cox, Adam Clarke, and Tom Weaver finding the net.

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: David Tacy Memorial Trophy – Round 3 – Prenton FC (Blue) v Oval FC (Green) – Credit: Bob Shaw

Premier Division

#TeamPlHWHDHLAWADALWDLFADiffPts
1.WOODCHURCH HOTEL FC1233051084034142028
2.ROCK FERRY SOCIAL1341350091335231228
3.BEECHWOOD FC1121052173125121324
4.DOCK FC1020350070325151021
5.QUEENS PARK FC1121340161427151219
6.GREAT FLOAT SPORTS & SOCIAL FC92111403512116514
7.NESTON NOMADS120152222371426-129
8.LANCELYN GLENAVON120222152371733-169
9.CORSAIR PV121240141381628-126
10.KRCT BIDSTON FC1410801411122254-324

Division One

#TeamPlHWHDHLAWADALWDLFADiffPts
1.BUSHELL ATHLETIC1331261092229131629
2.JPL JETS1021160081136102625
3.CHESHIRE CHEESE FC1040131171241113022
4.WELLINGTON FC1032130162229181120
5.EASTHAM RANGERS COLTS104111305412316719
6.RIG MOVE SERVICES FC92112124231716114
7.UPTON TOWN FC81112213322113812
8.WIRRAL RADIO FC112022054071828-1012
9.MSC EASTHAM1300421621101142-317
10.WOODCHURCH ROVERS120270120391340-273
11.AFC SHAFTES120260130391344-313

Division Two

#TeamPlHWHDHLAWADALWDLFADiffPts
1.BEDFORD FC1031060091043103328
2.PRENTON FC127011218224693726
3.BARCODE FC125121126242117420
4.SAUGHALL FC113212035243628817
5.WHITBY RANGERS FC61104005102842416
6.LIONS FC93002135131813516
7.EAGLE & STIRRUP FC103111044151216-413
8.POULTON VICS S&S122221233451929-1013
9.BARKERS ARMCHAIR FC123031144171742-2513
10.VICTORIA COLTS111130241371340-276
11.GLENAVON ATHLETIC130060070013752-450

Division Three

#TeamPlHWHDHLAWADALWDLFADiffPts
1.WEST KIRBY UNITED1854143197240241634
2.OLD PARKS FC1461032293240221830
3.AFC RANGERS1440145085133201329
4.OVAL FC123123216332819921
5.AFC TIMA133113146253230220
6.HIGHER BEBINGTON KELMA134421025443226619
7.EASTHAM RANGERS112213215422016419
8.ATHLETIC VH131313234542320317
9.PARKGATE PANTHERS132222144363127415
10.WIRRAL ATHLETIC1521520541102755-2813
11.NORTH WIRRAL SAINTS132151133282429-511
12.PARKGATE ST GERMAIN132140242381630-149
13.AFC RAEBURN1411401712111644-285

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