The latest round of fixtures on Saturday, 15th March, served up a feast of football action, with high-scoring encounters, dramatic comebacks, and dominant performances across the divisions. Walmer Bridge put on a clinical attacking display to see off Eccleston & Heskin, while Preston Wanderers and Bickerstaffe played out a six-goal thriller. Standish St Wilfrids flexed their muscles with a commanding away victory, and Bay Rangers FCA secured an important win on the road. Meanwhile, the Lancashire FA Amateur Cup and Lancastrian Brigade Cup delivered their fair share of drama, with Hoole United firing eight past Wigan Rovers and Wyre Villa Reserves edging a tense battle to progress to the semi-finals. With plenty of goals and talking points, here’s how the action unfolded across the leagues.
PREMIERSHIP
Eccleston & Heskin 2-5 Walmer Bridge
Walmer Bridge got off to a dream start, taking the lead in the very first minute through an assist from Jake Hardman. Eccleston & Heskin responded well, and Jacob Chew leveled the score on 25 minutes. However, parity was short-lived as Kieran Carpenter restored Walmer Bridge’s lead just a minute later. Jordan Aird struck in the 38th minute to bring it back to 2-2, but a rapid response from Zak Deaves, again assisted by the influential Hardman, ensured Walmer Bridge went into the break with the advantage.
The second half saw Walmer Bridge take full control. George Thomas extended the lead on the hour mark, linking up with Dominic Case, who then turned scorer himself in the 69th minute to seal an emphatic 5-2 victory. Hardman played a key role with three assists as Walmer Bridge secured a dominant away win.
Preston Wanderers 3-3 Bickerstaffe
A thrilling encounter saw Preston Wanderers and Bickerstaffe share the spoils in a six-goal thriller. Adam Stammers was on target twice, with Charlie Swindlehurst also getting on the scoresheet for the home side. However, Bickerstaffe proved resilient, with Matthew Bailey and a brace from Alex Griesdale ensuring they came away with a hard-fought point.
Tarleton Corinthians 0-4 Standish St Wilfrids
Standish St Wilfrids cruised to a comfortable 4-0 victory over Tarleton Corinthians. Matthew Crossey got the ball rolling, with Ross Ellison adding to the tally. Samir Sobeih bagged a brace to round off a dominant display as Standish left their opponents with no reply.
DIVISION ONE
Standish St Wilfrids Reserves 3-2 AFC Ainsdale
Standish St Wilfrids Reserves staged a spirited comeback to edge AFC Ainsdale 3-2 in a thrilling encounter. Despite trailing 2-1 at halftime, Alexander Favell’s 42nd-minute goal kept the hosts in contention as they looked to turn the game around in the second half.
Their persistence paid off, with Luke Barrow leveling the score in the 78th minute before Dave Fletcher struck the winner in the 86th minute to complete the turnaround. AFC Ainsdale had earlier taken the lead with two first-half goals, though their scorers were not documented, but ultimately, Standish St Wilfrids Reserves came away with a well-earned victory.
DIVISION THREE
Bickerstaffe Reserves 3-3 AFC Ainsdale Reserves
Bickerstaffe Reserves and AFC Ainsdale Reserves played out a thrilling 3-3 draw, with the home side’s goals coming from Benjamin Coleman, George Holker, and Lucas Morris. A goalless first half set the stage for an explosive second period, but neither side could find a winner in a match that saw both teams battle hard for a share of the points.
Middleton & Overton Sports FC Reserves 0-2 Bay Rangers FC A
Bay Rangers FCA claimed a well-earned away victory, with Jordan Newton and Kieran Potter finding the net to secure all three points. A strong defensive display ensured a clean sheet as Middleton & Overton struggled to break them down.
LANCASHIRE FA AMATEUR CUP
Appley Bridge 2-4 Trawden Celtic Juniors
Trawden Celtic Juniors proved too strong for Appley Bridge, storming to a 4-2 victory. Two early goals put them in control before Liam Hilton pulled one back just before the break to give Appley Bridge hope.
However, any thoughts of a comeback were short-lived as Reece Miller extended the lead early in the second half. Declan Ashurst gave Appley Bridge some belief once again at 2-3, but George Watson’s goal in the 63rd minute sealed their fate, knocking them out of the cup.
LANCASTRIAN BRIGADE CUP
Hoole United 8-1 Wigan Rovers
Hoole United ran riot with a ruthless attacking display to book their place in the semi-finals. Alfie Parker set the tone with an early opener and added a second just minutes later. Ben Rooke also got in on the act before Parker grabbed his second to make it 3-0 at the break.
Wigan Rovers briefly threatened a comeback through Callum Bayliss, but Hoole turned up the heat with a flurry of goals in the second half. Gary Hughes and Rooke extended the lead, with the latter completing his hat-trick. Parker secured his own treble before David Wilkinson rounded off the rout in the 88th minute. Hoole march on in style—can they go all the way?
Wyre Villa Reserves 3-2 New Longton Rovers
Wyre Villa Reserves edged a tight contest against New Longton Rovers, with Zach Crosbie netting twice and Nico Moreton also on target. Joseph Richardson’s double for the visitors kept things interesting, but Wyre Villa held on to book their place in the semi-finals of the Lancastrian Brigade Cup.