Saturday, November 16th, served up a feast of football action, packed with jaw-dropping comebacks, relentless goal-fests, and last-gasp winners. From AFC Ainsdale’s dominant 6-0 demolition of Astley FC to Castle FC’s edge-of-your-seat stoppage-time victory over Westgate Hawks, the weekend delivered something for every fan. Jak Turner’s heroic hat-trick for Astley Reserves and Jakub Jowalik’s late winner for Castle highlighted a day where resilience reigned supreme. Meanwhile, Appley Bridge showcased their cup pedigree with a clinical display, and Preston Wanderers came out on top in a 10-goal Premiership thriller. It was a weekend that reminded us why local football is the heart and soul of the beautiful game!
Premiership
Burscough Dynamo 4-6 Preston Wanderers
It was a goal-fest at Dynamo Stadium as the net bulged 10 times in this thriller! Dylan Kenyon dazzled the home fans with a superb hat-trick, with Sam Roberts also on the scoresheet. But the Wanderers were unstoppable, led by Connor Bell’s scintillating hat-trick, with Ryan Cromie, Daniel Gardner, and Charlie Sergeant adding to Burscough’s misery in an electrifying showdown.
Highgrove 3-3 Walmer Bridge
A rollercoaster at Highgrove Park saw the points shared in dramatic fashion. Cristian Lacob struck twice in the second half (47’, 70’), and Lewis McGrath’s late heroics (85’) kept Highgrove in the game. Walmer Bridge’s Aaron Cartwright, Keyton Henry, and Carl Jukes ensured they left with a hard-earned point.
Division One
AFC Ainsdale 6-0 Astley FC
AFC Ainsdale put on a show, with Charles Lunt leading the charge early on. His double (’22, ’33) left Astley reeling before Joseph Tinsley’s cool finish (’38) sent Ainsdale into halftime with a commanding 3-0 lead.
The second half was a continuation of the Ainsdale masterclass. Liam Mackie added a fourth (’62), James Niedzwiecki got in on the action (’72), and Tinsley sealed the deal with his second (’75), making it a day to forget for Astley FC.
Cherrybrook 6-2 Sir Tom Finney
Cherrybrook put on a goal-scoring masterclass to dismantle Sir Tom Finney, whose two goals from Kevton Foster and Joshua Omotoyinbo were mere consolation in a game the home side dominated.
Cube FC 1-5 Hoole United
Cube FC crumbled against Hoole United’s firepower despite giving it their all at home. Tobias Foster’s quickfire double (’37, ’47) set the tone, with Elliot Marsden (’48), Harvey Torrance (’48), and Sam Craven (’85) completing the job in a commanding display.
Division Two
Astley FC Reserves 4-3 Wigan Rovers
Astley Reserves fought tooth and nail in a pulsating clash! Tomas Hodson fired the hosts ahead (’15), but Lewis Blunt (’25) and Tom Penny (’35) turned the tide for Wigan before halftime.
The second half saw drama galore. Dylan Cross extended Wigan’s lead (’60), but Jak Turner unleashed a stunning hat-trick (’60, ’75, ’87) to secure a breathtaking comeback for Astley and send their fans into raptures.
Castle FC 4-3 Westgate Hawks
Castle FC delivered a Hollywood-worthy finale in a game packed with twists! Toby Palamountain struck first (’16), but Edward Harrison’s brace (’28, ’39) and Chris Kavanagh (’46) put Westgate Hawks in control.
Castle mounted a sensational comeback in the dying minutes. Guy Spence pulled one back (’77), George Stokes leveled it late (’89), and Jakub Jowalik completed the dramatic turnaround (’90+3) to snatch a famous victory.
Middleton & Overton Sports FC 0-3 New Longton Rovers
A second-half blitz saw New Longton take the points. An unfortunate own goal (’52) opened the floodgates, with Brandon Hale (’53) and George Kelly (’55) piling on the misery for Middleton & Overton.
Division Three
Bickerstaffe Reserves 13-1 Middleton & Overton Sports FC
An absolute demolition at Bickerstaffe, as the Reserves ran riot, hammering 13 goals past Middleton & Overton. Michael Nye’s late consolation (’89) barely softened the blow in a match they’ll want to forget.
Walmer Bridge Reserves 2-4 Broughton Amateurs AFC Reserves
A competitive clash saw Clive Zimheni’s brace give Walmer Bridge hope, but it was Broughton who took the spoils with strikes from Jonathan Gough (2), Oliver Jones, and Amadou Diallo sealing the deal.
Wyre Villa Reserves 1-2 Marsh United Reserves
Marsh United edged a gritty battle, with Jack Ashworth’s goal for Wyre Villa not enough to cancel out Marsh’s clinical finishing to secure the win.
Lancashire FA Amateur Cup
Atherton Town Reserves 8-1 Southport & Ainsdale Amateurs
Atherton Town Reserves cruised into the next round, with Jack Barton scoring Southport’s lone goal in a match dominated by the home side from start to finish.
Marsh United 1-5 Standish St Wilfrids
Standish powered through Marsh United, thanks to Samir Sobeih’s sensational hat-trick and Adam Simpkin’s solo strike. Aaron Hoyle’s lone goal (’35) was a bright spot in an otherwise tough day for Marsh.
Thornton Cleveleys A 0-3 Appley Bridge
Appley Bridge was clinical in their cup triumph over Thornton Cleveleys. Declan Ashurst broke the deadlock (’30) before Daniel Atkins took over, netting twice in the second half (’50, ’80) to secure a professional performance from the visitors.