Saturday August 12th \\\ NWCFL Premier Division \\\ Matchday 3

West Didsbury & Chorlton 3 - 1 Burscough
Davis 35                                           McMahon 60
Billingsley 42                                 Att: 489
Grimshaw 45+3

West Didsbury & Chorlton
1 A.Jones, 2 Cook, 3 Graham, 4 Schofield, 5 Smyth, 6 Foulds, 7 Billingsley, 8 McKnight, 9 Grimshaw, 10 Davis, 11 Matthews. Subs used: 12 Delaney, 14 Taylor, 15 Hellawell, 17 Eme. Not used: 16 Kirongozi.

Buscough
1 Monks, 2 Moran, 3 Birmingham, 4 Middlehurst, 5 Carnell, 6 Elms, 7 Riding, 8 Boydell, 9 Boden, 10 Pellegrini, 11 McMahon. Subs used: 12 Coughlan, 14 Canache, 15 Ball, 16 Brewster, 17 Dobie.

Burscough are a different proposition to the side West took six points from and scored nine against last season. After finishing second-bottom, the Linnets received a late reprieve from relegation and appointed former Skelmersdale manager Richard Brodie, who had overseen a perfect start to the new campaign before Saturday’s visit to the Step Places Stadium.

If the West supporters weren’t concerned enough about their opponents’ 100 per cent record, then a biblical downpour just before kick-off left some fans questioning if the match would even go ahead.

They needn’t have worried about either. 

The skies cleared, and West - playing their 500th competitive game since joining the National League System in 2012 - dominated the game from the first minute to the last.

West made two changes to the team that beat Vauxhall Motors in the FA Cup seven days earlier, with returning captain Matty Cook replacing Rhain Hellawell at right-back and Lee Grimshaw deputising for the absent Ben Elliott up front.

Within five minutes, McKnight - once again playing in a more advanced role - almost put West ahead when his free-kick from 20 yards was tipped onto the crossbar at the clubhouse end by Burscough goalkeeper Monks.
 

More chances came quickly for Lee Grimshaw, before McKnight again came close when he shot just over the bar following a clever layoff from Grimshaw after Lewis Billingsley deliveredl from the right.

Burscough barely threatened during the first half an hour, leading to the frustrated Brodie in the Linnets’ dugout being booked for dissent - minutes before his side were punished with three goals before the half-time break.

The first came on 35 minutes. player-of-the-match Matthews’ cross was headed back across goal by Billingsley for DAVIS to sweep home his first of the season.

Seven minutes later, West’s wingers were involved again with Matthews setting up BILLINGSLEY for a close-range finish to double the lead.

And moments before the half-time whistle, the hard-working GRIMSHAW scored his first goal since returning to the club to make it 3-0 - a scoreline that reflected West’s complete dominance.

While West’s football in the second half wasn’t quite as free-flowing as in the first, they continued to create just as many chances.

A Markell Foulds header from a perfect Darren McKnight corner went just wide of the post moments after the restart - a miss he will have rued even more 15 minutes later when West’s central defence were beaten to the ball by McMAHON whose header past Andrew Jones reduced the deficit for the visitors.

The comeback that the visitors’ dugout demanded simply never materialised. Within moments of Burscough’s goal, Foulds came close again for West - this time from open play - immediately followed by another chance when Grimshaw overran Matthews’ rolled low ball from the left with the goal left unguarded.

Grimshaw came close again on 62 minutes when he beat Burscough ‘keeper Monks to AJ’s 80-yard punt, but the ball landed fortunately at the feet of the visitors’ defence who denied him the second goal his never-say-die performance deserved.

A last big chance for a goal in front of the Shed came on 75 minutes when Callum Graham’s header from another expert dead ball delivery from McKnight hit the bar.

Half chances were created from distance from Grimshaw and - making his 100th West appearance - substitute Liam Delaney, just before a superb Foulds block prevented any hope of an unlikely Burscough comeback at the other end.

Only an injury to Rhain Davis - which led to one of Burscough’s four bookings - will have caused any concern for the management in the dressing room after the game.

And while there may be disappointment that West only won the game by two clear goals, there can be no questions about the quality of the performance that saw them rise to seventh in the early league table.

Listen to Chris Adams' post-match thoughts here, sponsored by Steve Eckersley.

Your Burton Road Brewing Co Supporter of the Match was David and his Player of the Match was Billy Matthews.

Full match gallery by Si Cook and Chris Michell available here.


NWCFL Premier Division classified results
Saturday 12th August 2023
AFC Liverpool 2-3 Ramsbottom United
Barnoldswick Town 2-2 Pilkington
Bury 1-3 Chadderton
Charnock Richard 2-2 Lower Breck
Colne 0-2 Wythenshawe Town
FC Isle of Man 2-1 Padiham
Kendal Town 3-1 Litherland REMYCA
Longridge Town 2-2 Glossop North End
Skelmersdale United 0-2 Cheadle Town
Squires Gate 2-2 Prestwich Heys
West Didsbury & Chorlton 3-1 Burscough
Wythenshawe 3-1 Irlam