Blues & Blacks Beaten Black and Blue in Villa Thriller !!

And so, on a sunny, breezy afternoon, to Knowsley and the Lord Derby Pavilion, named after Edward Smith-Stanley, the 14th Earl of Derby, three times Prime Minister in the 19th century and the longest ever serving Conservative leader, lasting 22 years. Today's game in the North West Counties Division One North is between AFC Knowsley and Ashville AFC.

The Blues & Blacks were formed in 1987 as Knowsley South FC playing in the Warrington & District League. South moved to the Cheshire League in 2019 and changed name to AFC Knowsley in 2021, joining the West Cheshire League in 2024. 4th last time, Knowsley achieved promotion to the NWCFL in the close season. They currently sit 17th, of 22, with seven points from eight games.

Ashville FC was founded in 1949 by D-Day veteran John Dennett and his wife Joyce at 25 Ashville Road, Wallasey, initially entering the Wallasey Youth League and then joining the Bebington League in 1951. After winning the Bebington League, Ashville moved to the Wirral Combination, winning the league in all three seasons they competed in it.

In 1955 'Ville was voted into the West Cheshire League, winning Division Two in their inaugural season and after promotion to Division One relocated from Wallacre Park to Villa Park on Cross Lane in 1962. The Villa was crowned as champions in 1968 and 2012, with a couple of relegations en route, quickly rectified; Ashville finished runners up in 2021/22 and was admitted to the North West Counties Division One South - they were laterally moved to Division One North in the summer where they lie 10th with three wins, three draws and three defeats.

Immediately we hit problems with 'temporary' 4 way traffic lights causing chaos. Numberplates today are W4X ME and F3CHA - plus a BJS van 'Squeaky Clean in Bath'.

Eventually to the M56 then the M6 and M62 alongside IKEA, Brakes distribution depot and the Dream sculpture at Sutton. Finally the M57 and off past Knowsley Hall brings us to the Lord Derby Playing Fields, where admission is £7 and the crowd is 169.

The ground is rudimentary and does not yet meet NWCFL requirements. There are no floodlights (just pylons), no seating (although an area appears to be earmarked for a 50 seat stand) and no cover.

The near end supports the pavilion, bar, clubhouse and changing rooms, banking down to the pitch. Both sides have playing fields beyond - the left just with a fence and no standing.  The top end is bounded by woodland and the M57.

Knowsley are unsurprisingly in blue and black, sponsored by Montirex. Ashville are in red with curious random black slashed lines, sponsored by West Wallasey.

On 7 minutes a bad mistake from Villa's captain Shaun Farrall allows Ben Taylor in and he scores with ease past Harley-Lee Morgan. It becomes 2-0 to the Blues & Blacks on 20 as more dithering 'Ville defending sees Oscar Roberts retrieve the ball and cross to Daniel Bulayima for a tap in.

Morgan just gets fingertips to a shot after 28, diverting the ball on to the post. And Knowsley are made to pay six minutes later as Adenya Dixon is robbed by the corner flag and the resulting cross is squared and easily converted by Ben Greenop past Liam Sargent for 2-1. Dixon is immediately substituted....

It should be 3-1 at the interval but Taylor dinks wide in a one on one - he really ought to have scored....

The second half has Knowsley spurning chance after chance. The best fall to James Anderson, magnificently blocked on the line, and Kieran Nagle-Kelly which produces a fabulous save from Morgan.

These bookend an Ashville equaliser after 63. A deep cross is nodded back and Peter Morgan rather apologetically prods in.

Seven minutes after marauding wing back Connor Rowland benefits from a superb cross field ball and his fine smashed shot puts the visitors 3-2 up.

The transformation is complete with two minutes left. Substitute Harrison Denton is played through and his composed finish, wrongfooting Sergant, gives Villa a 4-2 triumph in a hugely entertaining contest 😊

Gladiators Slay Spiremen - Burnt At The Stake....

And so to the Trade Tyre Community Stadium on Brownsfield Road, off Eastern Avenue, in Lichfield for an FA Trophy clash between Northern Premier League Division One West side Lichfield City FC and Division One East Matlock Town FC.

Originally formed in 1923 City played in the Birmingham Combination for 2 seasons. The new club was formed in 1970 as Lichfield FC, starting in the West Midlands League from 1976 and moving to Division One, changing name to Lichfield City FC in 1994.

In 1996 City resigned and moved to Sunday football before reverting to the Midland Combination Division 3 in 2008. Promotions from the new Midland League (established in 2014) saw Lichfield as Premier Division champions in 2025 - ascending to the NPL 1 Midlands, and after finishing 8th they moved laterally to West this term. City are bottom after four straight league defeats and were dumped out of the FA Cup 6-0 by Lye Town last weekend.

The away side, from the Proctor Cars Stadium on Causeway Lane, with stunning views of Riber Castle, was formed in 1878 as Matlock, and competed in the Central Alliance and then the Midland Counties League. After being four time champions in the 1960s, the Gladiators moved into a different arena, the Northern Premier League in 1969.

In 1975 the club won the FA Trophy beating Scarborough 4-0 at Wembley with all three Fenoughty brothers, Tom, Mick and Nick, scoring. 1978 saw the side win the NPL Cup, and this allowed them to play in the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1978/79 against Chieti, Pisa, Juniorcasale and Cremonese.

After relegation to the First Division in 1996, the club was promoted back to the Premier Division in 2003/04, and remained in the third tier of non-league, until relegation to Division One East in 2025. Runners up last time the Gladiators lost 2-1 to Bradford (Park Avenue) at home in the play offs. Three wins and two defeats after Tuesday's home victory against Pontefract Collieries leaves Matlock in 4th.

It's a very wet day as we plough down the M6 to Stoke. Numberplates today are W3NDY and 3 AHA. 

Oatcakes again amidst Dampsure, Beeyoutiful, Dwa Koty and Spratts Canary Mixture and Spratts Bonio & Mixed Ovals. Then the Poste of Stone before our lunch break.

Moving on we go via Sandon and Burston, The Dog & Doublet, Pasturefields, Bishton Hall and Rugeley Power Station. That brings us to the city of Lichfield with its famous three spired medieval cathedral and a blue plaque commemorating Edward Wightman, a heretic, and the last person burnt at the stake in 1612 - just beyond The Quill and Scholar.

£10 - and a crowd of 315, with good away support - on the gate leads to a tidy ground housing two seated stands, one next to the clubhouse and the other on the popular side, and three covered terraces - two on the pop and one up top, adjacent to Woppa's Bench. The other side is open with the team benches and an electronic scoreboard in the corner, although the operator has to be reminded when a goal has been scored... And in the background the thrum of the West Coast Main Line....

Lichfield are in blue with a hint of white, sponsored by Blue Breaks, Matlock in a very ungladiatorial change pink, sponsored by Birchover Reclamation.

Initial signs from the Spiremen are positive - Matthew Barnes-Homer hits the post and Dylan Thomas is denied twice by Marcus Dewhurst. But the Gladiators start to create meaningful chances, with Manasse Mampala guilty of a bad miss on 19 and then forcing a good save from Tom Carter eight minutes on.

Zak Goodson has an effort deflected wide in the 38th minute and it isn't a surprise when his shot in the first minute of stoppage time is blocked that the rebound is scuffed home by Brandon Bradbury. Matlock lead 1-0 at half time.

Little surprise too that City collapse after the break. Five minutes in Mampala thrashes in from close range and on 53 Jed Abbey beautifully scores with a curling sidefooter to make it 3-0.

Lichfield's sole response is a rasping drive from sub Joey Buckley just beyond the post. But normal service is soon resumed....

On 73 Mampala unselfishly squares to Goodson from a two on none for four, and then six minutes from time Abbey touches in at the far post. That leads to an unseemly melee and two yellow cards but ultimately the Gladiators go through 5-0.

Villagers Steel Themselves To Earn A Point

And so to Queen Street in Bilston for a North West Counties Division One South clash between Bilston Town FC and Barnton FC. Queen Street was previously closed after 120 vandalism acts in 5 years in 2007 but was refurbished a year later. 

The home side was established as Bilston United in 1894 from a merger of Bilston Rovers and Bilston Wanderers, playing in the Walsall & District League where they were champions 6 times. Retitled as Bilston FC the Steelmen entered the Birmingham Combination which then became the Birmingham & District League. 

That was subsequently renamed the West Midlands (Regional) League and Bilston was crowned as champions in 1973. The club changed name again to Bilston Town in 1983, and moved to the Southern League Midland two years later.

The Steelmen reverted back to the West Midlands in 2002, after voluntary resignation, and later to the Midland League in 2021. After finishing 8th last time Town was laterally moved to the NWCFL 1 South in the close season and have started with two wins in three, sitting 10th.

The visitors, Barnton FC, from Townfield, was established in 1946 and became founder members of the Mid Cheshire League two years later. The Villagers won the league 11 times in total, including seven in a row from 1997 to 2003.

The league was renamed the Cheshire League in 2007 and Barnton were relegated to Division Two in 2009. Having been promoted as champions in 2013, the Villagers then finished 5th in the top tier in 2014 which was sufficient to gain election to the North West Counties Football League - their first ever season at Step 6; they had however previously represented England in the UEFA Regions League in 2004 playing Slovenian and Bosnian opposition.

In 2015/16 the club finished third and won the play off final 2-0 against Bacup Borough after extra time in front of a record crowd of 554 (yup I was there !). 17th in their first season at the higher level but four wins, 19 points and 171 goals conceded in the 2017/2018 23 team league made relegation inevitable; they have remained in Division One South ever since, and finished 10th last season. This campaign has begun with one win in three then a late 3-3 fightback at New Mills, from two goals down on Tuesday, to lie 14th.

Another sunny day sees us go past Howlin Hots and straight on to the M6. Numberplates today are A11URS and C4MPY. 

We go beyond Hilton Park and turn off at Junction 10 to the Black Country Route. Then through Anson, Keyway and The Lunt roundabouts and bypassing Ecobat brings us to Queen Street on the outskirts of Bilston.

It's £8 admission with a crowd of 175 and inside sees two very small covered terraces, one signed as Turners End, at either end, both oddly housing single benches. Queen Street, tree lined and residential, has the main stand, clubhouse and bar.

The far side is blocked off for car parking; behind is the Johnson Van Centre. Orange bars are utilised to protect footballs being lost but there is a steward on ball boy duty in any event.

There's perimeter advertising for Gingerapple Signs & Graphics and Joseph Ash Galvanizing, part of the Wedge Group. Bilston are in orange and black, sponsored by City of Wolverhampton College, and Barnton sport their change blue and yellow strip, sponsored by Weaverham Hardware & Electrical.

Bilston have the first chance on 7 minutes from Sam Cudjoe Yankson, well saved by Ryan Taylor. Then after 14, against the run of play, Barnton take the lead as Charley Jarrald steals in at the back post and prods home, past James Crump, from a deep cross.

Four minutes later the Steelmen are level. A long throw is inadvertently flicked on and Nathan Guest sumptuously volleys home into the top corner.

Jarrald has another effort saved by Crump, and Cudjoe Yankson unluckily diverts a cross cum shot over on the half hour. Then just before half time Thomas Stanton, Barnton's centre forward, misses horribly and we reach the break at 1-1.

Bilston edge the second period but ultimately the Steelmen lack that cutting edge.... and luck. Ten minutes into the half Ben Priest's hopeful shot bobbles on the hard surface (at least there is grass and not a dust bowl !!), Taylor fumbles, the ball bobbles again and goes agonisingly wide.

The Villagers' substitute Callum Sandle has two good chances, one scuffed wide and the other expertly beaten away by Crump in a one on one. Taylor produces an excellent save from a Darragh Bustin free kick at the other end.

But it finishes 1-1 despite desperate penalty area action and goal line clearances at both ends in injury time.