Saturday, 10th May 2008

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24th March 2008
Review Of The Easter Period

The Premier Division title race was blown wide open on Easter Monday when FLEETWOOD TOWN kept their fifth successive clean sheet and destroyed WITTON ALBION's unbeaten home league record with a 3-0 success that leaves them eight points behind Albion but with three games in hand.

Albion, however, do have four of their last five fixtures at home whilst Fleetwood have four at home and four away. GATESHEAD moved in to third after two 3-0 victories over the holiday weekend whilst BUXTON took fourth despite losing 3-0 at MATLOCK TOWN on Good Friday before recovering to win at home to ASHTON UNITED on Monday.

Seven points from three games over the holidays moved GUISELEY into the final play-off spot with the previous week's third placed club EASTWOOD TOWN down to sixth after losing 4-0 at the in form ILKESTON TOWN on Good Friday.

Ilkeston have now taken thirteen points from their last five games to ease what were very real relegation worries.

Things are as interesting as ever at the bottom with WHITBY TOWN's first win in six games lifting them out of the relegation places at the expense of their victims NORTH FERRIBY UNITED.

Although the bottom two LINCOLN UNITED and LEEK TOWN both lost on Monday they had picked up points earlier in the weekend to keep up their hopes of avoiding the drop.

KENDAL TOWN did their chances of survival no harm at all with an astonishing 6-0 thrashing of MARINE and STAMFORD will have been grateful for two draws to keep them just ahead of the dog-fight immediately behind them.

In the First Division North it was a great Bank Holiday for both the top two with leaders SKELMERSDALE UNITED hitting nine goals without reply in their two games whilst BRADFORD PARK AVENUE made it six wins on the bounce with victories over NEWCASTLE BLUE STAR, MOSSLEY and CLITHEROE who had just won four on the trot themselves.

CURZON ASHTON scraped two narrow home wins to occupy third place but fourth place BAMBER BRIDGE lost ground with two home defeats conceding four goals on both occasions although they did come back to win Monday's "Derby" game at CHORLEY who are slipping back towards the relegation zone after a fourth straight defeat.

Down in fifth but still with a good chance of landing the title at their first attempt are FC UNITED of MANCHESTER who keep picking up points late on in games but they were held to a draw by bottom club RADCLIFFE BOROUGH for the second time this season on Saturday.

The title race in the First Division South looks done and dusted with RETFORD UNITED now fourteen points clear after second place club CAMMELL LAIRD lost at COLWYN BAY on Friday.

But a whole host of clubs are involved in the race for the four play-off spots with Colwyn Bay down in ninth still not of the equation.

At the bottom SPALDING UNITED, still without a home win, added a third victory on their travels when winning at CARLTON TOWN but they didn't make up any ground as next to bottom KIDSGROVE ATHLETIC had an emphatic 5-1 success over ALSAGER TOWN.

UniBond Cup Finals

Both of this season's UniBond League main Cup Finals, the League Challenge Cup and the President's Cup, will be played at Curzon Ashton's relatively new stadium with the President's Cup Final between FC United of Manchester and Radcliffe Borough first up on Thursday 17th April which was the only free date available to either club within the season.

The League Challenge Cup Final being contested by another First Division North side Skelmersdale United and Premier Division play-off place hopefuls Eastwood Town will take place on Monday, 21st April.

It has been a remarkable season for Radcliffe, the First Division North's bottom side, who struggle to buy a win in the league but have made it through to two Cup Finals.

Indeed, their Cup form is virtually title chasing stuff with a record of P17 W12 D2 L3 F42 A17 and they reached their second cup final of the campaign on the Tuesday prior to Easter when they came from behind to beat their President's Cup Final opponents FC United of Manchester 3-1 in the Manchester Premier Cup.

FC United, meanwhile, become the first club to be reinstated back in to the competition to reach a Final after their quarter-final 5-1 conquerors Nantwich Town had inadvertently played an unregistered player as a substitute in the match.

In the League Challenge Cup Final four days later Skelmersdale United will be facing their fifth Premier Division club in the competition when they take on Eastwood Town.

"Skem" have already disposed of Kendal Town, Leek Town, Marine and Gateshead after earlier beating Lancaster City and Kidsgrove Athletic from their own level.

Eastwood, by comparison, have only had to play four ties to reach the Final but there have been some eventful games amongst them with the "Badgers" overcoming Matlock Town 4-3 before beating Guiseley by the same scoreline after extra-time.

Then it was a penalty shoot out against Ilkeston Town that went the way of Eastwood 4-3 yet again. The semi-final saw Eastwood reach their first ever UniBond final beating Frickley Athletic 3-1.

Debut To Forget For Crowder

Bamber Bridge's recent signing from Colwyn Bay Martin Crowder had a debut to forget last Tuesday evening when he was dismissed 25 minutes in to his first game for "Brig" with his side leading 1-0. Opponents Rossendale United took full advantage going on to win 4-2 with Bamber Bridge's leading goalscorer Ryan Salmon also dismissed two minutes from time.

FC United's Kitaid Day Hailed A Great Success

Derrick Williams MBE, organiser of "KitAid", hailed FC United of Manchester's KitAid Day at their recent game against Newcastle Blue Star as a great success with around 350 items donated by supporters to the charity which distributes football kit across Africa, India and developing third world countries. More than 240 football shirts were collected together with shorts, socks, tracksuits and other items taking the final figure to the 350 mark.

First Russian To Register In UniBond League

Vorobel Taras this week became what is believed to be the first Russian player to be registered in the UniBond League when he signed for Curzon Ashton. The 23 year old Muscovite is over in this country as a student.

Cassidy Leaves Blue Star

Former Northern Ireland international Tommy Cassidy became the 23rd managerial change of the UniBond season when he left Newcastle Blue Star this week in the wake of the club's decision to seek a return to the Northern League. Paul Baker has taken over the reins until the end of the season.

High Winds Cause Abandonment

Gale force winds left match referee Billy Khatib little choice but to abandon the game between Newcastle Blue Star and Curzon Ashton on Good Friday after just fifteen minutes.

Even the state of the art Kingston Park, home of Newcastle Falcons Rugby Union club where Blue Star groundshare, could not survive the strong winds with first of all an advertising hoarding blowing in to the stand.

When the roof of the main stand was then seen to start to lift from its fixings Mr Khatib called a halt to the game for twenty minutes to see if the winds died down but five minutes after the players left the pitch a piece of the roof measuring approx 10m x 5m landed on the pitch followed shortly afterwards by another piece of a similar size.

Bloor And Hambleton Keep Their Places

North Ferriby United's Matty Bloor and Harry Hambleton of Hednesford Town both kept their places in the England Schools Under 18's side that beat Northern Ireland 2-1 just prior to Easter.

Bloor retained the captain's armband whilst Hambleton played for seventy minutes. Both will be hoping to feature in the remaining games against the Republic of Ireland at the Stadium of Light followed by Wales at Haverfordwest and the big one against Scotland at Wembley on April 26th.

Shepshed Stage Charity Game For Flying Doctor

Shepshed Dynamo are staging a Charity match next Sunday, 30th March with a 3pm kick off between a side of ex-professionals including Rugby players such as Martin Johnson and Austin Healey alongside footballers such as Carl Muggleton, Lee Glover, Muzzy Issett and Gerry Taggart against a side of managers led by Ian Storey-Moore. All proceeds are going to the Derbyshire, Leicestersire & Rutland Air Ambulance "Flying Doctor" Appeal.

Clitheroe Fans Also Help Charity

A band of Clitheroe supporters are also doing their bit for Charity next weekend when they undertake a sponsored walk from Blackburn Rovers' Ewood Park ground to Clitheroe's Shawbridge home arriving hopefully in time for the kick off against Radcliffe Borough. Rovers are kindly putting on a breakfast to get the walkers in good heart for their efforts with all proceeds being shared between the club and Clitheroe hospital.

Mariners Call Off Cycle Marathon

One money-raising initiative, however, fell foul of the Easter weather when Marine's stalwart club officials who were due to cycle to Kendal on Easter Sunday to raise cash for the club's coffers called their marathon off due to the wintry conditions. They haven't opted out though and certainly couldn't be accused of thinking up an easier alternative as they are now cycling 65 miles to Buxton, the highest football ground in the country, for the club's away game there on 19th April.

UniBond League Television
Forthcoming Games

Mon 24th March Witton Albion v Fleetwood Town Match of the Week
Sat 29th March Ashton United v Kendal Town Match of the Week
Tue 1st April Skelmersdale Utd v FC United of Manchester Live Game
Sat 5th April Buxton v Eastwood Town Match of the Week
Sat 12th April Grantham Town v Goole AFC Match of the Week
Tue 15th April Witton Albion v Frickley Athletic Live Game
Sat 19th April Curzon Ashton v Clitheroe Match of the Week
Mon 21st April Eastwood Town v Skelmersdale Utd ULCC Live Game

League Cup Finals plus other games will be included in the "Live" schedule when dates are known

All games can be accessed through the banner link on www.unibondleague.com and are subject to change.

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