Sunday, 18th May 2008

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19th April 2008
Review Of The Week

The Premier Division title is now FLEETWOOD TOWN's to lose after season long leaders WITTON ALBION were held to a draw at relegation threatened NORTH FERRIBY UNITED on Saturday.

Albion had beaten FRICKLEY ATHLETIC in midweek but were grateful for a late penalty to salvage a point at Ferriby on Saturday and with Fleetwood winning at STAMFORD they can now take the title by winning their last two games at Leek on Tuesday and at home to Frickley next Saturday.

With GATESHEAD sat firmly in third place it is any two from EASTWOOD TOWN, BUXTON and GUISELEY for the remaining play-off places with the latter having to win their last game against KENDAL TOWN next Saturday to stand any chance.

Kendal ensured they will be playing in the top flight next season when winning 2-1 at home to MATLOCK TOWN in a game where there was a spot of trouble with all three goals coming from penalties.

Their point against leaders Witton Albion wasn't sufficient to lift NORTH FERRIBY UNITED out of the relegation places despite two and two draws in their last four games but it really is a traffic jam at that end of the table. PRESCOT CABLES won a massive game against WHITBY TOWN by the only goal and both those clubs are level on points with Ferriby and Stamford.

Only a point in front of these four are OSSETT TOWN, LEEK TOWN and ILKESTON TOWN with the former looking the most vulnerable as they have finished their fixtures. In addition, eleventh placed ASHTON UNITED, MATLOCK TOWN and FRICKLEY ATHLETIC are not out of the woods yet either.

WOODLEY SPORTS blew the First Division title race wide open when, after not winning for fourteen matches, they beat leaders BRADFORD PARK AVENUE who had hit seven past BRIDLINGTON TOWN without reply in midweek.

The win enabled Woodley to move off the bottom rung where they are replaced by Bridlington who lost at home to Mossley after leading at the interval.

However, just one point separates Brid from Woodley and RADCLIFFE BOROUGH in the battle to avoid the drop and Borough travel to Bridlington on Tuesday.

Back at the top CURZON ASHTON failed to go above Avenue when held at home by CLITHEROE all of which enabled FC UNITED of MANCHESTER to get right back in the title race when they blasted four past NEWCASTLE BLUE STAR who have been in excellent form recently.

Just two points separates the top three all on level games and it's then any two from SKELMERSDALE UTD, OSSETT ALBION and BAMBER BRIDGE for the two remaining play off spots with the last two playing one another on Thursday after Albion beat "Brig" today.

In the First Division South CAMMELL LAIRD clinched runners-up spot, and with it the automatic promotion place, after a draw against GRANTHAM TOWN.

After their fifth defeat in six games GOOLE's play-off hopes are all but extinguished but NANTWICH TOWN and SHEFFIELD FC will be involved leaving Grantham, Stocksbridge, Belper Town and Colwyn Bay to battle it out for the other two places.

Finally spare a thought for the fans of SPALDING UNITED who have now gone a full season without seeing their side pick up three points from a home game after the "Tulips" lost their final home game today.

President's Cup Goes To FC United

The first of the three UniBond League Cups being competed for this season has gone to FC United of Manchester who captured the President's Cup at Curzon Ashton on Thursday evening beating Radcliffe Borough 2-0 with both goals coming late on in the game.

In an inspired substitution United manager Karl Marginson sent on Chris Baguley in the 77th minute and he had only been on the pitch five minutes when he ghosted in unmarked from the left to glide a header past Phil Priestley and break the deadlock in front of a crowd not far short of 2,000. Borough conceded a second in stoppage time to give FC United revenge for their defeat at the hands of Radcliffe in the semi-final of the Manchester Premier Cup.

The League Challenge Cup Final between First Division North Skelmersdale United and Premier Division play-off hopefuls Eastwood Town will be decided on Monday evening also at Curzon Ashton whilst, for the first time, the Chairman's Cup will feature the winners of the two First Divisions in a game that will decide the Champions of Champions at that level.

Worksop Reward Management Team

Worksop Town have announced that manager Peter Rinkcavage and his Assistant Jason Maybury have both signed long-term contracts through to May 2011. The Board said they recognised the pair needed time to turn round the fortunes of recent seasons and believe that they have already made significant improvements over the course of this season.

Marine Expecting Biggest Gate For Years

Marine FC are making preparations for what they believe will be the club's highest attendance in years when they play Liverpool in the Liverpool FA Senior Cup Final at College Road next Thursday.

The Anfield club will be sending Gary Ablett's title winning Reserve side and Marine officials are hoping for their biggest "gate" in around fifteen seasons. The Liverpool side is expected to contain a host of youth internationals including three with first team experience.

Argentinian Emiliano Insua and Nabal El Zhar, who has represented both France at youth level and Morocco Under 20's, have both appeared in Liverpool's first team whilst former England youth player David Martin has made around thirty appearances for Wimbledon, MK Dons and Accrington Stanley. They are joined by England youth players Steve Darby and Craig Lindfield.

Leek Spot On

They may be struggling near the bottom of the table but Leek Town haven't struggled for either being awarded penalty kicks nor converting them this season. Leek have been given no fewer than a dozen penalties going in to today's game at Ilkeston and have scored from eleven of them.

Leading goalscorer Louis Briscoe began the campaign as the nominated penalty taker and rattled home the first five on the bounce before slipping up against Lincoln United on New Year's Day. Since then skipper Anthony Danylyk has taken over responsibility without missing.

Ajax Given Sheffield Masterclass

Sheffield FC took time off from their promotion battle to give Dutch giants Ajax a 2-0 beating last Sunday at Sheffield United's Bramall Lane in front of more than 5,000 fans. The Ajax side contained a number of youth internationals from the fringes of the first team squad.

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Youth Team End With Cup Win

League Line-up Confirmed

Midland Floodlit Youth League

Next season's fixtures will be announced during the summer.

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