The draw for the First Two Rounds of the 2018/19 Macron Challenge Cup were made on Saturday following the conclusion of the NWCFL AGM in Blackpool and will see West make their first ever visit to Shropshire side FC Oswestry Town on Saturday 20^th October, 3pm KO.

FC Oswestry Town was formed in 2014 and joined the Mercian Regional Football League First Division, finishing 3rd in the league earning automatic promotion to the Premier Division in their first season.   In 2014/15 the club exceeded expectations on their way to a 5^th place finish in the Premier Division before winning the title in 2015/16 completing a quadruple that included the Mercian Regional League Premier Division title, the Mercian Premier League League Cup, The Shropshire Challenge Cup and the Commander Ethelston Cup.

Town joined the NWCFL in 2016/17 playing their games at Park Hall Stadium, which hosts Champions League football and is the home of record 12-time Welsh Premier League Champions TNS. Their first two seasons at step 6 have been one of adjustment having finished 15^th and 19^th respectively in their first two seasons.

The winners of that tie will travel to face the winners of AFC Darwen or Eccleshall on Saturday 10^th November, 3pm KO.

West have met Eccleshall twice previously in the League Challenge Cup beating them 4-0 with goals from Scott Jones, Mike Aston, Tre Baldwin-Willis and Tommy Walsh at home in 2012 en-route to the Quarter Finals in their first ever season.  Eccleshall extracted their revenge three years later defeating West at Brookburn Road 2-1. West’s only previous visit to Pershall Park came in 2013 when West ran out 1-0 victors thanks to a Mark Woodcock header.

West have faced AFC Darwen more frequently throughout their NWCFL history having met 10 times (although only 9 will appear in the NWCFL history books) since 2012.  West will have to reverse some recent history should they travel to the WEC Anchor Ground where their five previous league and cup meetings have wielded just two draws including the most recent which finished 3-3.  The only cup meeting was also a night to forget as West were thrashed 6-0 in the Lancashire Trophy.

First Round Draw:

01 Chadderton v 1874 Northwich

02 City of Liverpool v Ashton Athletic

03 St Helens Town v Cheadle Town

04 St Martins v Cammell Laird 1907

05 Barnton v Congleton Town

06 Bootle v Vauxhall Motors

07 Stone Dominoes v Ashton Town

08 Irlam v Abbey Hulton United

09 FC Oswestry Town v West Didsbury & Chorlton

10 Stockport Town v Ellesmere Rangers

11 Sandbach United v AFC Liverpool

12 Whitchurch Alport v Prestwich Heys

13 Rylands v Carlisle City

14 Stone Old Alleynians v AFC Blackpool

15 Bacup Borough v Avro

16 Charnock Richard v Runcorn Town

17 Padiham v Shelley

18 Abbey Hey v Daisy Hill

19 Nelson v Hanley Town

20 Burscough v New Mills

21 Northwich Vics v Alsager Town

22 Maine Road v Steeton

23 Longridge Town v Squires Gate

24 Silsden v Garstang

25 Cleator Moor Celtic v Winsford United

26 Cheadle Heath Nomads v Litherland REMYCA

27 Holker Old Boys v Lower Breck

28 Eccleshall v AFC Darwen

Byes: Wythenshaw Amateurs, Atherton LR, Barnoldswick Town, Wythenshawe Town

Second Round

01 Rylands or Carlisle City v Cheadle Heath Nomads or Litherland REMYCA

02 Whitchurch Alport or Prestwich Heys v Cleator Moor Celtic or Winsford United

03 Irlam or Abbey Hulton United v Padiham or Shelley

04 St Martins or Cammell Laird 1907 v Holker Old Boys or Lower Breck

05 Barnoldswick Town v Wythenshawe Amateurs

06 St Helens Town or Cheadle Town v Bootle or Vauxhall Motors

07 Maine Road or Steeton v Nelson or Hanley Town

08 Stone Dominoes or Ashton Town v Barnton or Congleton Town

09 Eccleshall or AFC Darwen v FC Oswestry Town or West Didsbury & Chorlton

10 Northwich Vics or Alsager Town v Charnock Richard or Runcorn Town

11 Chadderton or 1874 Northwich v Stone Old Alleynians or AFC Blackpool

12 Bacup Borough or Avro v Wythenshawe Town

13 Burscough or New Mills v Sandbach United or AFC Liverpool

14 Stockport Town or Ellesmere Rangers v Silsden or Garstang

15 Abbey Hey or Daisy Hill v Atherton LR

16 City of Liverpool or Ashton Athletic v Longridge Town or Squires Gate

Round Dates:

20^th Oct 2018: 1^st Round

10^th Nov 2018: 2^nd Round

08^th Dec 2018: 3^rd Round

16^th Feb 2019: Quarter Final

30^th Mar 2019: Semi-Final 1^st-Leg

06^th Apr 2019: Semi-Final 2^nd-Leg

Source: nwcfl.com