Saturday August 26th \\\ NWCFL Premier Division \\\ Matchday 6
Squires Gate 1
Carmichael 1
West Didsbury & Chorlton 5
McKnight 6(p)
Billingsley 49
Elliott 72
Gabidon 90, 90+6
Attendance: 135
Squires Gate
1 Pennington, 2 Crossley (12 Ogundare 69), 3 Kandeke, 4 Chambers, 5 Lutakome, 6 Welsh, 7 Riley, 8 Soares (14 Adamson 69), 9 Carmichael (15 Cliffe 72), 10 Campbell, 11 Hughes (17 Pett 72). Not used:13 Jungo.
West Didsbury & Chorlton
1 A. Jones, 2 Cook (c), 3 Hanley, 4 Delaney, 5 Hampson, 6 Foulds (14 Smyth 53), 7 Hellawell (16 Matthews 87), 8 McKnight (12 Taylor 76), 9 Elliott, 10 Dickinson, 11 Billingsley (17 Gabidon 56). Not used: 15 Grimshaw.
West returned from Blackpool with the points thanks to a dominant second half performance.
Chris Rowley was back in the dugout and made four changes to the side that defeated Skelmersdale United at The Step Places Stadium in midweek.
Liam Delaney, Rhain Hellawell, Sam Dickinson and Lewis Billingsley all returned to the starting eleven, with Billy Matthews and Dontai Gabidon dropping to the bench, while Tom Schofield and Rhain Davis miss out altogether thanks to suspension and injury.
Lee Grimshaw also returned to the bench after injury, with Laurence Taylor and Matt Smyth rounding out the matchday squad.
West came into the game with paradoxical away form - without a win in six on the road but six straight wins from previous visits to the Brian Addison Stadium.
Darren McKnight and Ben Elliott had worked the ball into the Squires Gate penalty area in the opening seconds but West found themselves a goal down before the clock had completed one rotation.
Ryan Riley crossed from the right and Alfie CARMICHAEL found a yard of space in the middle of West's backline and nodded the ball past AJ for a remarkable debut goal, scoring with his first touch of the ball in a Squires Gate shirt.
The early goal was never likely to help the game settle and West were immediately on the attack, drawing level within five minutes.
Markell Foulds found himself in an advanced position on the right by-line and, after a couple of twists and turns, was felled by Gate left-back Kandeke. The referee Mr Willan considered his decision before pointing to the spot.
McKNIGHT stepped up and confidently dispatched the spot kick to the keeper's left, upgrading his 100% penalty record for the season to three out of three.
In an action packed opening quarter of an hour, West knocked on the door four times as Lewis Billingsley couldn't generate power in a sat-down overhead kick, McKnight's sliced cross found a gap between the back post and West's onrushing attackers, Ben Elliott raced onto McKnight's trivela pass only to overhit the cross beyond Rhain Hellawell, before Hellawell himself put Billingsley away down the left but the cross wasn't gambled on and was cleared to safety.
Gate responded and Riley's shot was headed over by McKnight before Billingsley was dispossessed on halfway allowing Hughes to instantly counter but his shot was wide of both goalkeeper and post. Hughes again tried his luck and while his long range effort initially looked way off target, it knuckled through the air and didn't end up missing by much.
The game had been almost relentlessly end to end and while West's opportunities were more numerous, Gate's were arguably clearer. Liam Delaney had the last chance of the half but headed McKnight's corner over.
Ben Hampson and Lewis Billingsley had their names taken in first half stoppage time for tactical fouls, both halting their markers illegally after possession had been turned over.
The half-time scoreline was fair although both teams felt they could have been in front.
The second half was a different story as West powered to victory with four unanswered goals.
Within five minutes of the restart BILLINGSLEY gave West the lead, superbly hooking a volley over his shoulder from close range after Elliott had hit the bar from Hellawell's cross.
West were forced into a change shortly after, as Markell Foulds suffered a dead leg and couldn't continue. Matt Smyth, a regular of late, entered the field.
Dontai Gabidon then replaced Lewis Billingsley as West looked to stretch the game with fresh legs on the wing.
Just after the hour Delaney came close for a second time, this time finding the foot of the post with a driven grass cutting strike from 20 yards.
Any hopes Gate had of coming back into the game were extinguished with a bizarre incident on 64 minutes. Left-back Kendeke, who had not long been booked for a foul on Cook, appeared to protest for a card to be brandished to Sam Dickinson for his role in a coming together in the centre circle.
After consulting his assistant, Mr Willan brought his cards out not for Dickinson but for Kandeke, whose yellow was doubled up to red leaving the Blues to navigate the last half hour a man light.
Gate made a double sub in an attempt to shore things up, but moments later West took the game out of reach. Gabidon skipped clear down the right and crossed low for ELLIOTT to bundle the ball in at the near post for his third of the season and West's third of the game.
Another double sub came from Gate, while West introduced Laurence Taylor for Darren McKnight and Billy Matthews, who had been readied for some time, for Rhain Hellawell.
Matthews almost scored with his first involvement but Pennington in goal managed to claw the winger's shot out for a corner.
As the clock ran down, West were still pushing and found two more goals to put the game beyond any doubt, and the icing firmly on the cake.
Firstly a stupendous piece of skill from GABIDON to navigate between a mini-swarm of defenders who had boxed in West's #17 at the corner flag, but they hadn't reckoned for a rapid turn and a burst of acceleration away to bear down on goal and smash the ball high into the net.
An error from Welsh on halfway, the last man back for Gate as they committed players forward in search of a consolation, allowed who else but GABIDON to latch onto the ball to run fully 50 yards leaving backtracking defenders in his wake before slotting the ball underneath Pennington.
It capped off a superb second half for West and a fully deserved victory, despite the early scare. Defeat left Squires Gate bottom of the table and, along with Lower Breck, still without a win.
Your Burton Road Brewing Co Supporters of the Match were Heather, Fred and Wilfred and their Player of the Match was Matt Cook.
Here's the post-match interview with Chris Rowley, sponsored by Steve Eckersley.
Browse the full match gallery, by Si Cook and Chris Michell, below.
Weekend results
Saturday 26th August 2023
Premier Division
Bury 2-1 Cheadle Town
Litherland REMYCA 1-0 Wythenshawe Town
Longridge Town 0-2 FC Isle of Man
Pilkington 2-1 Irlam
Squires Gate 1-5 West Didsbury & Chorlton
The Isuzu FA Vase 1st Qualifying Round
Barnoldswick Town 2-2 Billingham Synthonia
Billingham Synthonia won 5-4 on pens
Cammell Laird 1-1 Burscough
Burscough won 3-1 on pens
Chadderton 7-1 Maine Road
Colne 1-3 Newcastle Benfield
Glossop North End 1-0 Cheadle Heath Nomads
Kendal Town 6-1 Route One Rovers
Lower Breck 3-0 Penistone Church
Padiham 2-1 Jarrow
Prestwich Heys 4-1 Beverley Town
Skelmersdale United 1-0 Daisy Hill
Staveley Miners Welfare 0-4 Charnock Richard
Wythenshawe 2-2 Rossington Main
Rossington Main won 4-2 on pens
Sunday 27th August 2023
The Isuzu FA Vase 1st Qualifying Round
Worsborough Bridge Athletic 0-3 Ramsbottom United
Saturday August 26th \\\ NWCFL Premier Division \\\ Matchday 6
West came into the game with paradoxical away form - without a win in six on the road but six straight wins from previous visits to the Brian Addison Stadium.
McKNIGHT stepped up and confidently dispatched the spot kick to the keeper's left, upgrading his 100% penalty record for the season to three out of three.
Gate responded and Riley's shot was headed over by McKnight before Billingsley was dispossessed on halfway allowing Hughes to instantly counter but his shot was wide of both goalkeeper and post. Hughes again tried his luck and while his long range effort initially looked way off target, it knuckled through the air and didn't end up missing by much.
The game had been almost relentlessly end to end and while West's opportunities were more numerous, Gate's were arguably clearer. Liam Delaney had the last chance of the half but headed McKnight's corner over.
Within five minutes of the restart BILLINGSLEY gave West the lead, superbly hooking a volley over his shoulder from close range after Elliott had hit the bar from Hellawell's cross.
Gate made a double sub in an attempt to shore things up, but moments later West took the game out of reach. Gabidon skipped clear down the right and crossed low for ELLIOTT to bundle the ball in at the near post for his third of the season and West's third of the game.
Firstly a stupendous piece of skill from GABIDON to navigate between a mini-swarm of defenders who had boxed in West's #17 at the corner flag, but they hadn't reckoned for a rapid turn and a burst of acceleration away to bear down on goal and smash the ball high into the net.
An error from Welsh on halfway, the last man back for Gate as they committed players forward in search of a consolation, allowed who else but GABIDON to latch onto the ball to run fully 50 yards leaving backtracking defenders in his wake before slotting the ball underneath Pennington.