Houlihan's Press Report 18 February 2024

Houlihan’s Birkenhead Sunday Association Football League

60th Anniversary Season
Best League in Cheshire

Press Report for Sunday 18th February 2024

AFC Shaftes may not have had the best of league form this season but they have earned themselves in the hat of round four in The Tony Houlihan Memorial Challenge Cup after a decisive 2-1 win over Upton Willows, Callum McCaffery and Bobby Evans were on the mark for Shaftes while Upton Willows responded via Dylan McColgan

Eight time winners of the Veronica Conway Premier Cup Dock AFC made it into the final four after beating Woodchurch Hotel 4-3 on penalties when the sides were locked at 2-2 after 90 minutes, Jordan Deer and Danny Holmes obliged for Woodchurch Rovers while Jon Clampitt and Danny Stephens notched the goals for Dock they will be in the draw with KRCT Bidston (og, John Mearns & Vinny O’Toole) who defeated Corsair FC (Jedda Bayley) 3-2

Last season’s runners up in the Frank Robinson Presidents Cup Rig Move (Danny Page 2) moved into the semi finals for a 2nd successive season, it went down to penalty shootout that was won 5-4 after a 2-2 draw with Upton Town (Mitch Duggan, Tom Ward)

Strikes from Lewis McKnight and Sam Burke enabled AFC Rangers to secure a place in the Tony Smith Memorial Cup final four, after 2-0 success over Wirral Radio Newton, that was only the 5th match in all competitions since last September that Wirral Radio has finished, they have a big back log of league fixtures but should get finished as the season has been extended for 4 weeks by Wirral Borough Council

Another high scoring game for the 2nd consecutive week between Higher Beb Kelma and Glenavon Athletic, last week was a league game but this week was a divisional cup tie in the Jimmy Core Trophy 2nd round tie with Kelma taking the honours again 6-3 after Liam Atherton claimed another hatrick with a brace from Jack Brown and a Harris Randles effort, responding for Glenavon Athletic were Alex Weston, Paul Keenan and Craig Wynne, also into the semi finals are AFC Raeburn (Austin Nelson, Jamie Owen) who outpointed North Wirral Saints (Callum Sait) in a surprise 2-1 result

Queens Park who have lifted the coveted Premier Division Title on 21 occasions’ and Division One twice, the first time before the premier division was introduced in 1968-69 season giving them a total of 22 top division titles enhanced their chances of a 23rd title with a comfortable 3-0 win over Neston United after Jamie Leyland, Jack Bentley and Owen Payne all netted in a 3-0 win to move into 2nd place just 2 point behind Cheshire Cheese but have 4 games in hand, with the bad weather and heavy pitches Neston Nomads are the only club not to have had a postponement this season, Cheshire Cheese (Anthony Evans, Can Nuttall, Alex Lowe) got back to winning ways accounting for Lancelyn Glenavon (Luke Camden) 3-1

Game of the day was in the Martin Gallier Project Division Two with highly fancied Eastham Rangers hosting runaway leaders Lions FC, Lions FC kept their100% league form with a narrow 3-2 win, a double from Mark Head and single from Paul Ryan was just enough to earn their 11th maximum points haul, Martin Marshall was the respondent for Eastham Rangers with a pair, Hatim Aljamal bagged a four timer for Poulton Victoria S&S added to a Tom Price strike as they firmed up a mid table position in a 5-1 result over Woodchurch Rovers, Barkers Armchair FC (Mark Munt, Lee Doyle) gained valuable points to avoid the drop 2-1 at Oval FC (John Skipsey)

Victoria Colts and Parkgate St Germain had to share the points in a Division Three encounter 3-3, Billy Harrison with a smart double and Mike Williams strike were the marksmen for Victoria Colts while Ethan Davies, Adam Matthews and Ben Swift replied for Parkgate, both clubs have also registered 3-3 draws earlier in the season but not against each other