MSC Express West Cheshire Football League round-up, 11 March 2023

MSC Express West Cheshire League Division One leaders, Mersey Royal, will line up in no less than four cup finals this season, after a solitary strike from Liam Driscoll and the agility of goalkeeper Josh Brooks, inspired the cup holders to a 1-0 victory over Division Two promotion-chasing Bravehearts, Ashville Res. , in Saturday’s Cheshire County FA Amateur Cup semi-final.

As Cheshire FA representatives, the Royal are already through to the Northern Counties Cup final and are also due to appear in both the Wirral DFA Senior Cup and Pyke Cup finals and with a healthy lead at the top, retaining the Division One title they won for the first time last season is also very much in the grasp of Glynn Norman’s Invincibles.

Sadly, despite a goal from Liam Smith, the possibility of an all-West Cheshire Amateur Cup final failed to materialise, when Newton lost 2-1 to a late winner at Cheshire AFL side Broadheath Central.

It was also a bad day for West Cheshire clubs Maghull Res. and Marshalls Res, who were denied places in the LCFA Junior Cup semi-finals following respective defeats at the hands of FC King Harry and St. Margarets Old Boys.

Maghull lost 5-4 on pens following a 0-0 result while Ben Fulton obliged for Marshalls Res. who went down 3-1.

Finalists for the West Cheshire Shield were resolved after Division Three title rivals, Hooton and Higher Bebington Kelma both progressed.

League leaders, Hooton celebrated a hard-fought 6-3 extra-time victory over Capenhurst Villa Res., highlighted by a four-goal salvo from Joel Whalley. John Clampitt and Joe Keenan also contributed with Tom Hockley, Harry Bell and Matty Vickers in reply for Cape.

In the other semi, a smart double from Luke Walker was supplemented by a further effort from Ben Kierman as Higher Bebington Kelma eclipsed Chester Nomads Res. 3-0.

On the League scene, second-placed Bootle St. Edmunds scored via Karl Bergqvist but saw their Division One title chances further evaporate after they capitulated 2-1 to goals from Vauxhall Motors Res.‘ Connor Egan and Dan Smith.

Pyke Cup finalists, Mossley Hill Ath., handily poised in fourth place, made up further ground after efforts from John O’Sullivan, Owen Cassidy, Will Maddock, and Mark Owens clinched a 4-1 win over Marshalls, who had Jack Ward on target.

Rainhill Town registered their eighth win of the season and stayed in sixth place in the table, Joe Clifton bagging the games’ only goal to deny basement outfit Ellesmere Port Town, while Chester Nomads were indebted to efforts from Rory Harper, Jack Delgado, and an own goal for their 3-2 success at Aintree Villa. Mark Barnes and Joe Farrell found the net for the hosts.

In Division Two, Runcorn Sports bolstered their strong claims for promotion and were elevated to third place in the table, following a 5-2 decision over Mossley Hill Ath. Res. Brothers Dom (2) and Ryan Bazley, Mick O’Neil, and Reece Dwyer shared the goals with Sam Bowsie and Hakeem Munns in response for Mossley.

Elsewhere, evergreen campaigner, Cam Dalton, along with Harvey Billington and Adam Shelton were South Liverpool Res.‘ marksmen in a 3-2 triumph at West Kirby (pictured), who scored through Connor Egan and Dan Smith.

On Wednesday evening, Derek Taylor and Leon Jones applied the finishing touches as Wirral DFA Amateur Cup and Haworth & Gallagher Bowl finalists, Ashville Res., remained focussed on top-flight football next season, when they edged a narrow 2-1 win over Mossley Hill Ath Res., whose scorer was Jonathan Liddle.

Saturday’s Division Three Action saw Ellesmere Port Town Res., courtesy of efforts from Mike Simpson, John Skipsey, Ollie Nicholson, and Kieran Fenton, get the better of Groves to post a 4-2 win. Kyle Foster and Ryan Maxwell netted Groves’ consolations.

Kos Alexopolous, Sam Stephens, Gaz Gerrard, and Sam Nixon found the net for Helsby Res. in their 4 – 4 stalemate with local rivals, Runcorn Sports Res.

Only one fixture took place in the Youth Division, and in a 3-3 finish, Kian Skinley was a hat-trick hero for City of Liverpool with replies from Alex McDermott (2) and Jack Todd earning fourth-placed BRNESC a share of the spoils.

Images: West Kirby (Black &White) v South Liverpool FC Reserves (Red) – Credit: Bob Shaw

First Division

POSTeamPWDLGDPTS
1Mersey Royal1716014048
2FC Bootle St Edmund’s2114253844
3Newton1813324242
4Mossley Hill Athletic1812423240
5Marine U23s229491031
6Rainhill Town21858-729
7Vauxhall Motors Res17917528
8Maghull17818325
9Litherland Remyca Res217311-1424
10Aintree Villa206410-922
11Marshalls17638-1021
12Chester Nomads206212-3220
13Capenhurst Villa14518-516
14Heswall214017-3112
15Ellesmere Port Town202117-627

Second Division

POSTeamPWDLGDPTS
1Poulton Victoria2116142449
2Sutton Athletic2314181543
3Runcorn Sports1712142437
4Ashville Res1612131837
5Helsby1510412234
6South Liverpool Res201037833
7Maghull Res178271226
8Mallaby19748525
9Bootle Res178091024
10Poulton Royal17728-123
11Mossley Hill Athletic Res237214-2223
12Cheshire Lines214512-2617
13West Kirby214215-3314
14South Sefton Borough173311-3012
15Marshalls Res162113-267

Third Division

POSTeamPWDLGDPTS
1Hooton2114343645
2Aintree Villa Res1713134940
3Higher Bebington Kelma1712322739
4Runcorn Sports Res221129-2035
5South Liverpool Third1710432934
6Neston Nomads199641133
7Capenhurst Villa Res17944731
8Poulton Victoria Res208571029
9Helsby Res248511-1629
10West Kirby Res248214-1326
11Chester Nomads Res19649-622
12Ellesmere Port Town Res216213-3320
13Groves Athletic225215-2917
14Rainhill Town Res194114-2513
15Heswall Res212613-2712

Youth Division

POSTeamPWDLGDPTS
1Mossley Hill Athletic1310213632
2Vauxhall Motors179351630
3Poulton Victoria138142125
4BRNESC15816-325
5Victoria Colts U1816817425
6South Liverpool14725523
7City of Liverpool14545-119
8Ormskirk West End14608-718
9Runcorn Linnets144010-2912
10Maghull140014-420

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