Padiham (A) \\\ Matchday Info
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Preview
West's season is truly up and running now, and a trip to Padiham this Saturday offers the opportunity for the club to record a fifth league win in a row.
It follows an impressive 1-0 win at promotion-chasing FC St Helens on Tuesday night. That result moved West up to 15th place and eight points off the playoffs with several games still in hand. Based on a points-per-game (ppg) record, West are currently 7th and are certainly one of the form sides in the division.
Padiham are also on a good run - sitting 2nd in the form table (which also includes cup results). They have won four of their last five league matches and are two points ahead of West in 12th, having played three games more. The Storks have however only managed to beat one top-half side this season when they recently beat Charnock Richard 5-3. Aside from that, the highest placed side they have overcome is Glossop North End in 17th.
There could be two familiar faces in Padiham's ranks this Saturday. Gabriel Cole, who had played every minute of West's season until last Tuesday's Lancashire Cup exit, has joined the Storks this week and will hope to make his full debut for the club. Elsewhere, former West winger Kieron Molloy has also joined Padiham after leaving Prestwich Heys in the close season. Both Cole and Molloy were introduced from the substitutes bench during their most recent 2-1 win away at Colne on Tuesday night.
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Padiham At A Glance
Home colours: All blue
Change colours: All red
Pitch surface: Grass
2023/24 position: 5th, NWCFL Premier
2023/24 average attendance: 307
Travelling distance: 34 miles
West away season round trip: 316 miles
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Form Guide
Padiham
Position: 12th
Form position: 2nd
Last six overall: WWWWDW
Last six home: WWWLWD
West
Position: 15th
Form position: 7th
Last six overall: WWLLWW
Last six away: WWWDDL
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Past Meetings
West's most recent trip to Padiham was memorable for all the wrong reasons. A dismal first-half performance in March saw West trail 4-0 at the break before stemming the tide somewhat to limit the damage to a third 5-1 defeat of the season. Darren McKnight scored West's consolation goal that day. That result was part of an excellent run of wins for Padiham that saw them make a late surge for the playoffs before being eliminated by eventual winners Wythenshawe Town.
That wasn't West's worst visit to Padiham in the Counties era though. West were hit for six in 2018 when Padiham ran out 6-1 winners, although in return West have themselves recorded 5-1, 5-3 and 3-0 wins over the Storks during an era of high-scoring and often one-sided encounters between the clubs.
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Head to Head
Overall:
P13 W7 D1 L5 F27 A2
At Ruby Civil Arena:
P6 W2 D0 L4 F9 A18
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Browse through our wonderful match galleries, from club photographers:
Nathan Ashmall, Chris Michell, Jack Todd and Christina Bowett.
