Key details

? West v Maine Road
? NWCFL First Division South
? Thursday 26th December 2019, 3pm
? Step Places Stadium, Brookburn Road, Chorlton, M21 8FE
? £5 adults / £3 concessions / free for under-12s

West and Maine Road cross swords for a 12th competitive South Manchester derby with more than just local bragging rights on the agenda.

Last Saturday’s disappointing 2-1 defeat at Stockport Town left West 12 points off the First Division South promotion places, albeit with two games in hand. For Road, this festive clash could be something of a revenge mission after West confirmed their relegation from the Premier Division in the May 2017 edition of the derby.

If West come into this game on decidely unsure footing, winning one and losing four of their last five, Maine Road are in excellent form. Their 2-0 win against Garstang ten days ago was their third win in a row without conceding a goal, though momentum was checked by a postponement at Oswestry Town followed by a blank weekend.

The history books are on the visitors’ side – they edge the head-to-head record with five wins to West’s four, while West have only won one of five Christmas derbies since the first clash in 2013. But with another bumper crowd set to descend on Brookburn Road, West will be confident of claiming a much-needed win in this hotly-anticipated latest edition of M21 hostilities.

Last time we met

Monday 7th May 2017, West 4-3 Maine Road: West survived a late Maine Road comeback to claim a first win at Brookburn Road against their neighbours, whose relegation to the First Division was confirmed on a sweltering afternoon in M21.

A club record crowd saw West race into a three-goal half-time lead through Mark Rogers, Ashley Woods and Matty Kay, and though Declan Rydings immediately responded to Ben Davison’s goal after the interval, Road leading scorer Jack Coop scored twice late on to ensure a frantic finale.

The West team that day: Ashley, Olapade, Rydings, Eckersley, Rogers, Middleton (Botchey 76), Steer (Dickenson 67), Kay (Whyment 64), Bailey, A. Woods, Mason. Not used: Reader, Eislet.

Other fixtures

Alsager Town v Abbey Hulton United
Barnton v Stockport Town
Cammell Laird v Vauxhall Motors
Cheadle Town v Cheadle Heath Nomads
Ellesmere Rangers v Sandbach United
New Mills v Abbey Hey
Stone Old Alleynians v Eccleshall
Wythenshawe Town v Wythenshawe Amateurs