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BOWC
A busy month of April saw us play no less than 9 games back to back with 3 out of 5 of the Munster Senior Cup rounds played in April. I, naturally, rotated my players such that they would be fresh for the Munster Cup matches
Mervue Utd visited us and were expecting to get all 3 points to open the month of April, however an early goal by Mervue was cancelled out by a stoppage time strike by Ciaran Kelly, splitting the honours in a tight game.
The first win of my tenure here was recorded at Fairview Rangers as we netted 2 virtue of Biansumba and Stevens before half time to ensure we progressed to the next round with a clean sheet. It was a good game as we finally dominated somewhat.
I returned to Athlone Town hoping to record a victory over my former employers, however the first half killed the competition as Athlone netted 2 in 10 minutes leaving us playing catch up. Andy O'Connell gave us a lifeline at the 64th minute but it was ultimately our inability to create chances that cost us and Athlone destroyed us with a late goal, leaving us with no chance of victory.
Shamrock Rovers were a team I expected to lose heavily to considering the quality of the squad. However we managed to pull through and leave quite content with our performance after a Hutchinson goal!
Going behind at Bohemians was the last wake up call required as we finally recorded our first league victory this season, with a big contribution from Louis Stevens who recorded a brace on either side of a Steven Black header, skipping 3 points ahead of the relegation zone.
Definitely a great achievement as we recorded 2 wins on the bounce with another Munster Cup win as Leeds AFC - Cork fell. Owen Humphrey opened the scoring and O'Connor followed up with another goal 5 minutes later and 6 minutes after that, a sweet strike by Biansumba fired home and gave us the confidence needed to hold on to the 3 goal advantage and proceed to the next round of the Munster, still going strong.
A hard-fought 1-0 win against Dundalk courtesy of a winger strike kept us going on our finally solid run and we managed to get out of the relly zone for the first time.
Munster Senior Cup saw us meet non-league side Ringmahon in another one-sided affair. Biansumba finally showing his worth with a brilliant brace and Kelly topped it off with a goal of his own.
The result was mirrored in the opposite direction at Sligo Rovers as we were as productive as our goals showed. a 0-3 defeat was a bad defeat and would take some time to get over.
All in all this month has been pretty solid for our team and hopefully this form will carry us into May and June!
BOWC
The month of May isn't as hectic as April but we still played 7 games which is still a lot. 5 games in the Premier and 2 in different cups I have won before with Athlone!
Abysmal performance against an impressive Drogheda allowed them to come away with a 2-0 win which really showed why Cork have been languishing in the lower half of the table all these years.
Goalless for the second game this month against Shelbourne was disappointing considering the number of shots we had on target, but nonetheless it is 1 point well earned thanks to the defensive display, keeping us just on top of relly zone by a point.
Another 1-2 defeat against Shamrock Rovers incurred the wrath of the fans as they lost to their bitter rivals again. The game looked like it was heading for a draw after a Shamrock strike cancelled out Ives' opener, but they scored late to stop the game from going into extra time and I have to say I was thankful for that.
Another local derby lost at Limerick F.C. was an unbearable sight as we were largely even except for a defensive lapse that cost us the game.
It continued against Longford as they knocked 3 past the goallee to extend their unbeaten run at the expense of our team. Dropping into relly playoffs, its surprising that the board has not been too unhappy with me!
Redemption began at SD Galway as a must win match was won, though unconvincingly in the 91st minute of play. Louis Stevens was my hero as he got the win without stretchin the game into extra time which would've been detrimental for us.
Biansumba decided to find his scoring boots but even his 2 goals could not grant us the win at Mervue Utd as they equalised twice to deny us the win we thoroughly deserved.
17 games played and we're still in 11th place, 2 points from safety and 4 points ahead of the automatic drop with 11 points. 10 defeats is definitely unacceptable. However, looking at the fixture list I may only be staying for another month before I leave the post here! That's if I win the Munster Senior Cup, and the only notable opponent is Limerick now.
BOWC
A goal glut kicked off the month, though we managed to get on the scoresheet a total of 4 times through Biansumba, Kieran Brennan and Chris Brown, we still couldn't win the game as Bray Wanderers equalised 4 times to deny us the win.
The Munster Cup Semi Final was a boring one as Fernoy took a defensive stance to deny us many goals, though we finally took the lead and defended it after a Louis Stevens strike on the 60th minute, taking us to the finals of the Munster Senior Cup!
Finally ticking off Ireland as we venture back into the job centre!
BOWC
So I've taken over Witton Albion, a former Conference side who have just been promoted to the Blue Square Bet North.
They are predicted 20th in the league and I will be hoping to exceed that and produce a safe mid-table run for this team which should be achieveable given the wage budget and the transfer kitty!
Will_FFC
Dan
BOWC
Dan: Yeah Dan, league form was a b**ch but managed to pull through to the finals!
Major overhaul of the squad, bringing in fresh players ranging from age 18-25, so should be a team for the next few years, to tackle the BSB North and the Premier, hopefully some will develop well and follow me beyond that!
Not too sure how to feel about the friendlies, on one hand we are scoring, but on the other, we are leaking crazy amounts of goals.
My first friendly in charge was against semi-rivals Sheffield (not utd or wednesday, just sheffield). A solitary goal from Liversedge was enough to see them off, giving me a good start to the friendlies.
However when we received Chester, although we scored the first goal again through Liversedge, we could not hold on to the lead as they knocked goal after goal after goal against us, and the consolation goal by Mick Stanford couldn't save us from the 3 goal defeat.
Winning in extra time was a huge relief for me as Nicky Fox sunk minnows Holywell with a 95th minute strike after Liversedge equalised for us in the 79th minute. Unbelievable that they managed to come up and score against us, but the boys hit back hard and ended up with a well deserved win.
However, when we received Kidderminster, there was no doubt who were the better team. 5 goals to nil is not a very flattering display but our performance deserved it altogether.
Liversedge is one of those on all of the games we scored's scoresheet, definitely will be an integral part of the team on the right wing and hopefully the goalscoring doesn't stop here!
A big loss is definitely not a game you would like to end the pre-season with, but we have to make do.
I am still thinking of a safe mid-table position, though it seems I may spend a while languishing in the lower part of the league before the team get used to the style of play.
BOWC
We entered into my second venture in the BSB North off the back of some decent friendly form, ready to score goals.
Like my first season with Hyde, form was atrocious.
As Droylsden visited for our first match of the season and my first match at home, we managed to take first blood as Liversedge knocked in one from a tight angle to score the first goal of the season. They woke up and fought back to a 1-2 before half time. The only goal in the second half proved to be decisive as we launched ourselves right into the middle of the table with that draw.
Unlucky at Accrington as the match looked more like blank draw material but one goal in the second half knocked us out of balance and the rest of the match the boys struggled to fight back.
Again, Lambert scored first against Harrogate to allow us to take the driving seat but we failed to capitalize on the goal as they fired shot after shot after shot and 2 of those went in.
Another blank was drawn at Alfreton Town as we were absolutely dominated and were lucky to have only conceded one.
However, this form is worrying and 1 goal defeats are definitely not how we will be wanting to play out the season.
This form leaves us at 19th place, one place above the relegation zone, with no points advantage over the other 2 on 1 point. Not really the place we would like to be at the moment.
Dan
PeterGriffin
BOWC
The month of September takes us to 7 league games, almost 2 a week, in a bid to fight relegation.
We arrived at Hednesford, fellow relegation contenders, expecting to get all 3 points but it was the complacency that cost us. A lapse of concentration in the second half cost us 2 goals in between a Lambert goal and a goal from a corner that was headed in nicely by Cheetham to win us a point, though we thoroughly needed and deserved 2 from the way we played the whole game.
Our luck was not much better at Hinckley as they scored early in the game to shock us. However a superb move by captain Mick Stanford to get past the defenders and flick it past the goalkeeper in the 24th minutes kept us in the game. There were no more goals after that and that strike proved to be one that clinched us another vital point.
The team I left for West Ham a few years back came to Witton to show me what I was missing. However, Witton had other ideas. Lambert scored a goal in the 19th minute making the sweet victory for his manager even sweeter as we recorded our first win of the season to keep us in safety.
Then came a series of defeats which would sink us. The Bradford game was horrible to watch. A run seemed to be forming when Ian Lambert equalised in the 51st minute after Bradford took the lead in the first half. However poor defending after that and sparks of brilliance from Bradford gave them the game as we left their home ground with a 3-1 defeat.
High-flying Stalybridge, kicked 2 past us without any response as they dominated us from start to finish, and the same could be said about the next two games where we didn't have a foothold in either of those games. However they were top teams in the BSB North and I would have preferred draws for all of these games. Can't seem to stop the defensive errors that the goalie is making though.
This bad form leaves us in 21st place, well in the depths of relegation, but still 3 points from safety. A good run of form would be welcome to at least spend the winter season in safety! I have a feeling it's coming!
Dan
BOWC
The month of October 2023 takes us to a few crucial games in the FA Cup and an important match against Gainsborough for a bit of a bid to climb up to safety.
Guiseley was our first challenge of the month as we faced them at home for the 2nd qualifying round of the FA Cup. A fortituous own goal along with a Mick Stanford goal on either side of half time and a Guiseley goal allowed us to claim the win to progress to the 3rd qualifying round, which was our minimum goal for the season.
Mick Stanford continued his fine form in a 1-1 draw against Gainsborough in a match where we thoroughly dominated and should've won. Unfortunately despite the possession play, chances were few and far between and a draw is all we got.
A fortuitous win against Southport followed as we continued a 3rd game unbeaten with Lynch and Stanford heroes of the 2-1 win. Southport were unlucky to win as they had 2 post hits and 2 goals ruled for offside.
Our 4th unbeaten match came against minnows Newcastle Town with a narrow 1-0 victory, which had a Newcastle goal chalked off for offside. Nigel Pendlebury filling in for Ian Bowden at left back fired in a shot at 25 yards in what was otherwise an uninspiring match.
We returned for a "second leg" this month against Guiseley and the home ground advantage that Guiseley had was just too much for the team as they slumped to the first defeat of the month in a 0-1 defeat.
Spirits will still be high from a nearly unbeaten month for the first time and the team will be looking to build on this good run to bring ourselves out of relegation zone.
With 10 points and 2 points from safety, relegation is still on the cards but if we can grind out some results here and there, we may be able to win the relegation scrap and stay on the BSB North for another season. The league table is still looking as tight as ever so anything still can happen!
BOWC
The month of November see us play 3 Cup games and 5 league games, continuing our fight for survival.
The fine run in the FA Cup continued against Altrincham, winning 2-1 with Mick Stanford contributing both of the goals in what was a fortuitous win. 2 goals on either side of the break gave us the advantage and Altrincham though scoring a consolation goal towards the dying minutes of the game, couldn't break the surprisingly strong defense.
A 1-1 draw with a goal scored by Stanford's strike partner Lynch showed signs of things to come as we picked up a vital point at AFC Fylde. Both sides would feel this draw was an accurate reflection of the 2 sides, but we definitely could have picked up a win if not for a controversial goal chalked off for offside.
We were handed an easy draw in Redditch in the FA Cup 1st round where we fully expected to progress past a lower league team. However, we struggled against their organised defense and the breakthrough never came and they punished us towards the dying minutes of the clash.
Our first outing in the FA Trophy ended in defeat at Ashton Utd in another barren, 0-1 game. They won us by a solitary goal and their reputation is apparently higher than ours, allowing me to be spared the blushes from losing to a lower league side.
A trip to Manchester followed as we visited FC United of Manchester in what was a hotly contested game. However, despite the many chances that flowed, both teams drew a blank and a point each was again, thoroughly deserved.
A thriller against AFC Telford began with a David Cheetham header into the goal net through a poorly defended corner. Things were looking dull as they scored 2 right after that, leading 2-1 at half time. We managed to pull it back to 2-2 in the 71st minute through substitute David Reid, but they came away with the win through an injury time winner, nearly making me pull my hair out.
Colwyn Bay visited Wincham as both teams drew another blank to give us another point where we could have picked up three. Unfortunately, penalty shouts were not heeded as we continued cementing our place in the bottom 3.
An outing at Nuneaton Town ended in disaster as they took an early lead and defended to the death as we struggled to find our foothold in the game, ultimately costing us another loss in the first half of the season.
Bad form causes us to continue our run just above the bottom spot in 21st position, still 3 points off the nearest team in safety but with 2 games in hand. If we continue like this we will probably see Witton Albion relegated next season, but I'm willing to see this out.
Dan
BOWC
A must win tie against Whitby, and a few weaker teams mixed with some teams higher up like Droylsden and Harrogate constitutes the month of December for relegation favourites Witton.
This month began with a home game against Whitby. Needing the 3 points badly, we rose to the occasion dominating the first half and left winger Lambert opened the scoring at Wincham Park for it to go 1-0 at half time. The second half began shakily and it cost us a goal a few minutes after half time. The game was really even after that, however, letting their guard down in the dying minutes of the match allowed substitute Keeling (for Lambert) to score in the 93rd minute, sealing our 3rd win of the season.
We then visited Droylsden in what was supposed to be a one-sided tie. However, again the team, higher on morale after picking up the win against Whitby, proved that football can be cruel with Mick Stanford scoring in both halves of the game, without a response from the home side.
A visit to Tamworth the next week was on the cards. After going down in the first half, I gave them a real shelling and they moved back out there with fire in their bellies as they overcame the deficit through a free kick from Liversedge, and topping it off with a winner from a corner as Cheetham headed the ball into the net.
Mick Stanford continued his good form by scoring again against Accrington. However the scoreline didnt really reflect the one-sidedness of the entire game, as they held over 60% of the possession and had more than twice our shots. They managed to equalise in the second half but kudos to the defending as well as their profligacy which kept it at 1-1
A domination by Harrogate was to be expected and the team after going 4 matches unbeaten end the month by conceding 3 goals and scoring none, bringing a somewhat spectacular month to a sad, real close.
3 wins, a draw and a loss brings us out of the relegation zone for the first time on 23 points albeit by goal difference. Fortunes seem to be changing and at this stage midway through the season, this team isn't lost yet!
BOWC
A tough month of January see us take on Hinckley, Alfreton, Hednesford, Bradford PA as well as my former club Hyde. The first two being tougher challenges while the last 3 are tough but winnable fixtures.
A second 0-3 hiding in a row kicked off the new year as we struggled to find our footing in a one-sided match against Hinckley.
Devearn Starkey stepping up in place of Liversedge in his absence due to injury was a surprising one as he scored our only goal in a 1-3 defeat against heavyweights Alfreton Town for our 3rd defeat in a row.
Starkey rose up to the challenge again as he netted a cool finish early in the game to put us in control of the game. However Hednesford rose up to the occasion and put them back into the game with a goal early in the first half. That proved to be the last goal of the game and both teams left with 1 point each.
The situation was reversed the following week against Bradford PA. We didn't find our feet for the first half of the match, allowing them to score an early goal, but that proved to be the wake up call to allow the team to summon up an equaliser in the second half through captain Mick Stanford, who was at the end of a brilliant Witton move.
The trip to Hyde was a scary one as they took the two goal advantage in the first half as they looked to jeer their former manager, however, a tactical tweak and a half time talk later, Witton came out semi-victorious as 2 goals within 5 minutes consigned Hyde to a solitary point and punished them for their complacency.
No idea what to say about this form, which should have been enough to at least keep me at the same position, but unfortunately the other relegation contenders are getting the wins and left us at 21st place with 26 points from 29 games. 4 points from safety is a long shot and I may be starting to consider other clubs to take me forward on this challenge!
Dan
BOWC
The month of February see us only play 2 matches in what is a relatively free month. 20 days of relaxation/training for the boys before the next game in March.
A loss to first placed Stalybridge was definitely on the cards as we visited them on a cold afternoon. We managed to keep the scoring low and to our amazement we only let in 1 goal from the top team in the BSB North. A great defensive display helped and could contribute to better things to come!
A 1-1 draw against Solihill Moors was pretty lucky as we got a controversial penalty in the 25th minute, allowing us to take the lead and even when they scored 1 just after half time, we managed to hold on to get another vital point.
Fraser Mitten is a gem I found hiding in the U18s which admittedly I made the mistake of not checking. He's there even though he is 19. No idea why the reports don't show him, but his stats are amazing even for a League side, this might change our fortunes!
Unfortunately the relegation threatened teams are doing well at this point of time, so we lost our footing and now its 6 points to safety. A relegation is really on the cards unless our team can pull of an amazing recovery.
BOWC
A month of five fixtures in the BSB North as the season reaches the final stretch.
Pairing Fraser Mitten with Mick Stanford has been probably the best thing I have done for the team so far. Their first game together created a first emphatic win over Southport that will surely be etched in the memories of the team. The match was entertaining with most of the chances created by Witton Albion, with a few brilliant shots saved by the opposite number 1. Alex Askham scored with a header from a well taken corner before Stanford netted 1 more in each half to round off the victory.
The brilliant pairing continued as they scored 2 goals apiece. 4 goals before half time surely put a dent in the York team's defense. However we took a breather after half time and though we were merely defending for the rest of the time, we only allowed 1 goal to breach the defenses, allowing us to get 2 wins in a row, a sight rarely seen this season.
Gainsborough brought us back down to earth as they condemned us to our first defeat of the month even though we took the lead in the 21st minute through Mitten. The score flatters Gainsborough as we had many chances but just incredible luck took the win away from us.
A home game against Guiseley followed as a thriller unfolded. We took the lead through Fraser Mitten in the 14th minute before 3 goals in the first half caused us to go into the half time with our confidence dented. I gave them a piece of my mind and the comeback started. Mick Stanford pulled it back to 3-2 as he scored a clinical finish in the penalty area. We started dominating the match but the breakthrough only came after the 82nd minute as playmaker turned scorer Singleton scored from 25 yards before Mitten slotted home to make it 4-3 and a home win for Witton Albion.
Inconsistency continued to wrack us when we visited AFC Telford only to come out second best, which we were most of the game bar a brilliant shot to the top corner by Mitten, ending up only being a consolation goal as travelling to Telford turned futile.
This month of March puts us in a much better position to start our push back to the BSB North for another season. 9 points from a possible 15 is no mean feat for a relegation-tipped team. Placed in 20th place and only 1 point away from safety, I can finally say that we have a chance of staying up this season. Only 6 more games to play and as long as we keep a good steady stream of points, this team will not go down this season.
Dan
BOWC
April sees us play 5 more games to fight for our place next season!
FC United of Manchester came to our home as we look to secure another 3 points for our fight for survival. Fraser Mitten was the catalyst in the 21st minute as he struck home a close finish. Irishman Lynch stepping up in place of Stanford repaid the faith by scoring 3 times in the second half, a left footer, a right footer and a header, completing a true hattrick that brought us out of the relegation zone!
A more realistic result came against AFC Fylde as neither side could create enough chances for the strikers to score, ending up in a bore draw, and a solitary point for our cause.
If there was any result the boys were to remember it would be this one. We visited an unsuspecting Colwyn Bay only to embarrass them. 6 different scorers on the day began with Ian Lambert scoring from a tight angle on the 21st minute after loads of possession. A second came from the same man when indecision between a cross and a shot turned out for the best as the supposed cross went in for a fluke goal. Colwyn pulled one back from another goal conceded by a set piece. Willie McGowan, playing as striker for a chance netted a header in the 45th minute to go into the break 3-1. 4 more goals came, each by a different person as Stanford, Ellison, Cheetham and Askham were all on target to end our most memorable game of the season 7-1.
Mick Stanford netted again just before half time in the game against already relegated Whitby as an rather slow paced game sparked into life. The second half was livelier and Starkey filling in for Liversedge managed to hit in a goal of his own to secure us the win.
Our first defeat and last game of the month came against Nuneaton. We struggled against them and only managed to score one while they put in an efficient performance to win the game 1-2.
Despite the defeat, our unbeaten streak this season put us into 0 goal difference and 4 points above relegation zone, which means I did it! Witton are safe from relegation!! Bad luck for AFC Telford, Colwyn Bay and Whitby as the suffer relegation while Stalybridge has already been crowned the champion with 1 game left to go. Our highest position would be 17th if we are able to make the win next month, which is a great achievement for me.
BOWC
The month of May see us play our last match of the season before the players move off for their much deserved break.
We looked to be losing the tie when Tamworth opened the scoring. Austin Lynch claimed back a point just after half time and Witton were looking for a winner, but Lynch's goal proved to be the last goal of the match, and of the season for Witton Albion.
A draw matched Bradford's result and we claimed 17th place over them level on 47 points on goal difference. Not much shifting in the league table. Stalybridge claim first place and an automatic promotion while Southport win the playoffs to be promoted to the Blue Square Bet Premier.
Coming down to join us from the BSB Premier, Chester and Boston United will be looking to bounce straight up and will probably be the main contenders should I be competing for promotion next season!
The season as a whole has been decent, with some improvements and goals and the form of the ending of the season, we would be able to make a decent push for promotion without making major major changes.
The board decided with the healthy financial state it would be wise to build a stadium worth 2.5 million sterling. This would be vital in improving our revenue if we do manage to make it into the Football League by then as we have been constantly packing our stands.
And off the boys go for the break!
Dan
BOWC
Throughout the preseason my scouts have been looking at players though I barely trust them anymore. A young Scot named Jay Morrison who can play on the right flank as well as the poacher position came up and I was quick to snap him up.
Fraser Knowles and Will Gould were just players added to beef up the left side a bit, Knowles being an accomplished player able to play both the winger and the left back position and maybe displacing one of my main starters while Gould is a young developing player who operates at full back and will be on the sidelines most of the season.
Following Fraser Mitten's 7.5 and above performances netting 9 times in 12 appearances, Arsenal seemed to have taken notice and put up an offer we or I couldn't refuse. 1.75 million is a hefty sum for a Blue Square North side and I will be trying to use it to reinvest in the squad. Suffice to say the fans weren't happy with the transfer, but the call was out of my hands.
Colin Gray and David Reid were players that I didn't really need in my team due to excess players and their poor ability.
That rounds off the transfers as of August 31st
After the club sold Fraser Mitten, the board decided there was enough capital for the club to go professional which is a huge step up as I will be able to sign players on full time contracts now.
Friendlies see us taken on a variety of different sides but all of them within Brittania.
13 goals scored in 5 matches, only 5 goals conceded and 4 out of 5 wins with a draw is definitely winning form. Gary Wilson, a reserve striker seems to be making his mark in the matches he played starting with the Chorley match. 6 goals in 4 matches is not something to be trifled with and as long as we carry this kind of goalscoring form and defensive solidarity into the new season, I'm sure we will have no problem competing at all fronts this season.
Dan
BOWC
The month of August see us start our fight in the Blue Square Bet North. Nothing much has changed within the squad so we might have been playing a relegation scrap, but fate decided otherwise.
A blazing start to the BSB North started with 2 goals in 5 minutes from Singleton and then Liversedge, both additions last summer, finally proving that my scouts were not worthless after all. Droylsden pulled it back to 2-1 before the half time break. A goal from a free kick outside the box by Singleton brought the lead back to 2 goals and another consolation goal came in the dying minutes of the match by Droylsden, but we held on and got the 3 points.
Our strikeforce saved us once again when we came out 2-1 winners courtesy of Mick Stanford and a red-hot Singleton. Even though they managed to score against us first, we managed to come back to win the game, making it 6 out of 6 points.
I handed Jay Morrison his debut in the Gainsborough match and he repaid the 12K spent on his transfer almost immediately. Gary Wilson scored his first league goal before setting up a goal for Morrison after the break. In between there was a Gainsborough that shocked us but we came in just alright as Lambert hit in another within a minute of Morrison's debut goal to double our lead. Jay Morrison topped his performance off with another 2 goals in the next 20 minutes to seal the win, even with a Gainsborough goal towards the end of the match.
York posed our first points lost as we drew 2-2. We took the lead through Gary Wilson before York scored twice right after the goal to put us in a losing position. Fortunately Mick Stanford scored in te 43rd minute and it proved to be the last goal of the match as we lost 2 points.
We returned to scraping a win against my former side Hyde after going down to a Redmond (remember my first signing at Hyde) goal. We showed great resolve and Liversedge scored in a brilliant set piece play while Mick Stanford ended the scoring with a sweet header that bulged the net.
This hot run of form puts us in FIRST place with 13 points from 5 games, 2 points above nearest competitors Solihill Moors. I am surprised with this kind of form due to our relegation scrap at the end of last season, but I saw where Hednesford (17th last season) were, in 5th place 3 points behind us, then I realised in this league, anything can happen!
Our red hot streak lifted me up to my first Manager of the Month as manager of Witton, and probably in England as well. Long may it continue!
Dan
BOWC
The month of see us play another 5 league games with a Qualifying round of the FA Cup right in the heat of it.
Our 6th match of the season saw us take on newly promoted Cambridge C in a one-sided affair. Cambridge stood no chance as midfielder Pendlebury scored from the penalty area in the 2nd minute, just about 90 seconds into the match. Dominic Singleton continued his fine form by adding our second just before the break. They did not even have a shot on our goal for the whole game and we killed the match with a third by fringe striker Austin Lynch.
Mick Stanford scored the only goal in what was a pretty even match against Hednesford. Both sides had their chances but it was ultimately the 79th minute strike that extended our lead in the league table.
In another evenly matched game, we took on AFC Fylde in a relatively boring match with neither team getting shots on goal. However, in the 32nd minute, and our first shot on goal, Gary Wilson fired home and that proved to be the only goal of the game, giving us another vital win in our promotion push.
Clitheroe visited us in Northwich as we looked to qualify for the FA Cup for the second year running. A team we expected to beat heavily, we met our expectations in a 6-1 emphatic win with Singleton netting a hat trick thanks to a late penalty. Many of the goals were scored from set pieces with Askham, McGowan and Singleton's second strike coming from corners and free kicks. This puts us nicely into the 3rd qualifying round against heavy rivals Leek.
Boston United invited another hattrick, this time from on-form striker Gary Wilson as he struck in 2 within 3 minutes of the second half and a third in the 80th minute and rounded it off with an assist to McGowan as Boston United sunk without a trace.
We took the honours at Tamworth as we came out 2-1 victors over our opponents. Askham headed home after a wonderful corner by Pendlebury and Lynch scored a magnificent individual effort in the game which, they only managed to pull back one towards the end of the match, leaving fans on the edge of their seats!
A perfect month in all aspects leave us in 1st place, 10 games played, 28 points and 8 points clear of the crowd. With the extra defensive effort and the ability of the strikers after the whole team has gelled, this season looks to be Witton's season!
This run of form has been amazing and I ended up winning the manager of the month the 2nd time running. With a busy schedule coming soon, it might be a struggle trying to get them fit to play and avoiding injuries is the key to success here!
Dan