The race for promotion in The Maxwell Barbers Division One is certainly going to go the full distance, with JPL Jets sitting out today, as they are the odd team, but the next five clubs all won.
Second placed Wellington FC were the winners in the local derby at AFC Shaftes (Luke Rollings), thanks to strikes from Matty Croft, Tom Bradshaw, and Billy Rainbow 3-1.
Bushell Athletic (Ben Glover pen, Elliot Spencer, Luke Naylor) who are in third place, even though they have the same points and goal difference, but have scored fewer goals than Wellington FC called the tune 3-0 at Wirral Radio.
Cheshire Cheese had all the answers to inflict a 4-2 defeat on Rig Move FC (Callum Hayes, Josh McEwen) with Nick Lynch, Sam Hughes (2), and Cam Nuttall all netting. With lots of criticism of match officials in the national game at all levels, the referee in this game was outstanding.
Eastham Rangers Colts scalped Woodchurch Rovers 4-0 with Dillon Thomas, Matty Howe, Harry Davies, and Andy Rogers all notching a goal each.
Upton Town, who are the only unbeaten team in the Maxwell Barbers Division One – but have played fewer games, sank MSC Eastham 5-0, Callum Mernock with a brace and singles from Leigh Carter, Danny Andrew, and Sam Sutton did the all important damage.
Fenton Cavanagh bagged a four goal haul for Beechwood FC to take pole position in The Premier Division for the Ryan ‘Gigsy’ Atherton Trophy, with Ben O’Neil and Owen McMahon adding a strike each to make it a 6-0 success at KRCT Bidston.
Last season’s Cheshire Cup finalists met for the first time this season and the first of three meetings inside four weeks in different competitions. Neston Nomads took the honours at Dock AFC (Dean Nunn, Ben Wood), the scores were level at 2-2 and with eight minutes to go, only for Callum Hulmston to score a screamer for the Neston side. Also on the mark for Nomads were Reece Kerr and Luke Blondel.
Current champions Rock Ferry Social had to work overtime to get back to winning ways in a high-scoring game with Lancelyn Glenavon.
Connor Doyle was the main man for the ferry boys who hit a four-goal salvo with efforts from Joe Whittle and Kie Hughes in a 6-4 win with John Adediran, Danny Stephens, Joe Downey, and an own goal replying for Lancelyn.
Both teams will meet again next week in the Wirral Premier Cup at the same venue. Another high-scoring game could be on the cards as Rock Ferry won 5-1 earlier in the season
It is a similar story in Division Two as it is in The Maxwell Barbers Division One with all the top teams winning.
Division leaders, Prenton FC, went goal crazy, romping to a 9-0 win with Luke Wynne hitting a treble, Matty O’Shea and Tom Molloy with a brace each, and further strikes from Leon Jones and Ryan Morris over Barkers Armchair FC.
Sheridans (Leon Jones (3), Leon Bower (2), Max Tattler, Mike Dobbs) who are a point behind Prenton FC with two games in hand certainly know where the back of the net is easing to a 7-0 result over AFC Park North.
Whitby Rangers, who won Division Three last season, have games in hand and still undefeated in the league, earned all three points at Barcode FC (Paul Johnston) 5-1 and had Brad Bland on hand with a hat-trick, supplemented by singles from Tom Ruffer and Sam Cooper.
Victoria Colts (Owen Hughes, Mike Williams, OG) registered a fine 3-0 win over Glenavon Athletic.
Eagle Stirrup FC (Jamie Gaskell, Jack Gibson) moved into the quarter finals of the Tony Smith Memorial Cup winning their tie 4-2 on penalties after finishing 2-2 at normal time with Lions FC (Paul Ryan 2).
There were no tricks or treats for AFC Tima (Kyle Pulford) as they lost to form team Old Parks (Adam Lamb, Anthony Povall, Jack Harrison (2), Declan Wray (2) in Division Three in The Houlihan’s Birkenhead Sunday Association Football League 6-2.
West Kirby United dropped two vital points with a 2-2 draw at Athletic VH.
A double strike from Loui Fox, with the usual mandatory goal from John Skipsey, earned all three points for Oval FC over AFC Raeburn. While the young referee had a fabulous game, there are also plenty more young referees coming into the game, especially in the Wirral area and they have certainly made their mark.
A treble each for Jay Harvey and Rob Mars (1 pen) with Alex Butterworth also getting on the scoresheet, Parkgate Panthers inflicted a 7-2 defeat for Wirral Athletic (Joe Roberts).
The Houlihan’s Birkenhead Sunday Association Football League are now accepting applications for a proposed Youth Division for the season 2023/24 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
Image: Oval FC v AFC Raeburn. Credit: Bob Shaw
Premier Division
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| 1 | Beechwood SC | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 23 | 10 | 13 | 24 |
| 2 | Dock AFC | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 21 |
| 3 | Rock Ferry Social | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 15 |
| 4 | Great Float S&S | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 21 | 16 | 5 | 13 |
| 5 | Queens Park | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| 6 | Neston Nomads | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 12 |
| 7 | Woodchurch Hotel | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 10 |
| 8 | Lancelyn Glenavon | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 27 | 44 | -17 | 9 |
| 9 | KRCT Bidston FC | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 25 | -13 | 8 |
| 10 | The Lukes FC | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 29 | -18 | 3 |
| 11 | Corsair PV | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 18 | -9 | 1 |
Division One
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| 1 | JPL Jets | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 7 | 21 | 15 |
| 2 | Wellington FC | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 12 | 9 | 14 |
| 3 | Bushell Athletic | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 14 |
| 4 | Cheshire Cheese | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 13 |
| 5 | Eastham Rangers Colts | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 11 |
| 6 | Upton Town | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 11 | 10 |
| 7 | Wirral Radio FC | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 9 |
| 8 | Rig Move FC | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 7 |
| 9 | MSC Eastham | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 34 | -23 | 7 |
| 10 | AFC Shaftes | 9 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 27 | -18 | 3 |
| 11 | Woodchurch Rovers | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 24 | -18 | 1 |
Division Two
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| 1 | Prenton FC | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 46 | 5 | 41 | 20 |
| 2 | Sheridans FC | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 7 | 28 | 19 |
| 3 | Saughall | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 6 | 25 | 16 |
| 4 | Whitby Rangers | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 3 | 24 | 16 |
| 5 | Barkers Armchair FC | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 27 | -16 | 12 |
| 6 | Barcode FC | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 12 | -2 | 11 |
| 7 | Lions FC | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 10 |
| 8 | Eagle & Stirrup FC | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| 9 | Victoria Colts | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 33 | -18 | 8 |
| 10 | Glenavon Athletic | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 37 | -29 | 3 |
| 11 | AFC Park North | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 48 | -41 | 3 |
| 12 | Poulton Vics S&S | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 25 | -17 | 2 |
Division Three
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| 1 | Old Parks FC | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| 2 | West Kirby United | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 25 | 13 | 12 | 19 |
| 3 | Oval FC | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 16 |
| 4 | AFC Tima | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 31 | 32 | -1 | 16 |
| 5 | AFC Rangers | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 14 | 5 | 15 |
| 6 | Eastham Rangers | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 15 |
| 7 | Athletic VH | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 12 | 5 | 12 |
| 8 | Parkgate Panthers | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 11 |
| 9 | H Bebington Kelma | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 23 | 21 | 2 | 11 |
| 10 | Parkgate St Germain | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 14 | -5 | 6 |
| 11 | North Wirral Saints | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 18 | -5 | 4 |
| 12 | Wirral Athletic | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 17 | 43 | -26 | 4 |
| 13 | AFC Raeburn | 9 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 12 | 35 | -23 | 1 |
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