Houlihan's Press Report 24 March 2024

Houlihan’s Birkenhead Sunday Association Football League

60th Anniversary Season
Best League in Cheshire

Press Report for Sunday 24th March 2024

Dock AFC gained revenge for last week’s defeat by Queens Park and gained a place in the semi finals of the Tony Houlihan Memorial Challenge Cup with a resounding 4-0 win.

Dock’s marksmen were Haydn Cooper, Adam Lea, Josh Henry, and Kieran Hamm

Also through to the semi finals are Cheshire Cheese who won 4-2 on penalties against a valiant Eagle Stirrup side from the Martin Gallier Project Division Two. At 90 minutes the score was 2-2 with Kie Frost and Billy Richards making their mark for Cheese while Nathan Fehily and Louis Brown netted for Eagle Stirrup.

Rig Move secured a place in their second out of a possible four cup finals, this week in the Frank Robinson Presidents Cup, as they disposed of Eastham Rangers Colts 5-0. The goalgetters were Steve Rowland (2), Daniel Woodcock, Simon Thelwell, and Ian Mitchell.

Rig Move will meet Whitby Rangers (Gabe Kwateng, Matt Vickers, Harrison Cooper) who took the tie 3-1 on penalties at Bushell Athletic, with both sides locked at 3-3 after the normal regulatory time.

The game of the day was in the Premier Division with visitors Rock Ferry Social earning a 4-2 win via Connor Doyle, Joe Emery, Toby Ward, and Harry Wood strikes with Charlie Macinnes and Jordan Deer replying for hosts Woodchurch Hotel. That result dented Woodchurch Hotel’s chances of lifting the Ryan ‘Gigsy’ Atherton Trophy.

It now looks like a two-club race between Dock AFC and Queens Park who both have games in hand on leaders Cheshire Cheese who have already completed their league programme. Woodchurch and Rock Ferry will have a say as both need to play the two joint favourites.

Lancelyn Glenavon moved off the bottom with a superb hat-trick from Connor Courtnell in a 3-0 success over early season pacesetters Great Float S&S.

Cheshire Cup and Veronica Conway Premier Cup finalists, KRCT Bidston (John Mearns), traded goals and points with Wellington FC (Ellis Jones).

Only one game was possible in The Maxwell’s Barber Division One with Barcode FC (Ake Norton, Andy McIver, Harry Firkins, Neil Davies) sharing the honours with AFC Shaftes (Bobby Evans, Callum McCaffrey, Dave Southall (2)) in a tremendous 4-4 draw.

A solitary goal from Paul Ryan for Lions FC kept them firmly on route for the Martin Gallier Project Division Two title with a 1-0 result over Woodchurch Rovers.

It is week 31 of the normal 36-week season and Wirral Radio Newton have registered only their third maximum points haul out of only seven league games and five cup ties. They still have a long haul to fit in 15 league games in the next nine weeks as the season has been extended to weeks because of the wet weather.

Josh Ross led the way with a treble supplemented by singles from Conor Egan and Matt Lydiate in a 5-2 win over Eastham Rangers who responded through Martin Marshall double.

Poulton Victoria, who have found their shooting boots in their last six games, have had a mixed set of results, but have the net 26 times. In their latest game, they ran out 8-0 winners over Oval FC, Jack Gordon bagged four, Hatim Aljamal a treble, and one from Jay Little.

Upton Willows (Levey, Shannon, McColgan), who are hoping to be in the mix at the end of the season, did their chances no harm with a hard-fought away win at AFC Rangers. Rangers goalgetters were Rob Evans with a superb free kick from just inside the Upton half and Lewis McKnight.

Wirral Athletic have recorded their fifth straight league win to hold onto second place in Division Three after Jamie Conway, Jason Rigby and Jamie Galloway all netted in a 3-1 win over North Wirral Saints.

Third-placed Feeneys (Brad Brady, Adam Walker, Nick Amos) ran out 3- 2 winners over AFC Raeburn.

Athletic VH took the honours in a high-scoring 6-4 game against Victoria Colts (Billy Harrison (2), Natas Asmonas, Gaz Dickenson), while West Kirby United (Henry Martyn (2), Matty Murphy (3)) accounted for AFC Tima (C Parker) 5-1.

The Houlihan’s Birkenhead Sunday Association Football League are now accepting applications for new clubs to join the League for the 2024-2025 season, a limited number of vacancies are available We are also accepting applications for the Youth Division for the same 2024-2025 season that is scheduled to start in August 2024, any Youth clubs/teams that wish to enter two teams can do so, one team will be known as Youth U/18’s and a second team is normally known as a Colts U/17’s, please visit the League website for contact details.