Good Monners Excel - Crewe Cut Down To Size...

And so to the Excel at Crewe FC Sports Pavilion on West Street in Crewe for a North West Counties Division One South game between Crewe FC and Allscott Heath FC.

Crewe FC was founded in 1998 joining the Mid Cheshire League - now the Cheshire League. The team previously played at The Cumberland Arena and moved to The Excel Building Sports Pavilion at the King George V Playing Fields earlier this year.

The club reached the Premier Division in 2014. 5th last season saw elevation to NWCFL 1 South in the close season, where they currently lie 16th, of 20, with 9 points from 8 matches.

Allscott Heath are known as The Monners (somebody who has lived their entire life in the same town or suburb). They are based at The Peter Ford Stadium on Shawbirch Road.

The club was formed as Atlas FC in 2010, changing name to Allscott in 2011, then to Allscott Heath FC in 2019. 

After a spell in the Mercian League, Heath joined the West Midlands (Regional) League in 2016, succeeding as champions in 2023 and rising to Midland League Division 1. Runners up the following year but missing out as play off losers, Allscott moved laterally to the NWCFL Division One South for the 2024/25 campaign. 

The Monners finished 15th in their first NWCFL season and 13th last term. Heath currently sit 11th with 11 points from 10 games

Numberplates today are PH16BOG - another Peter Higson vehicle - and MU51CKZ. We pass a shop 'Glam & Glow by Fatimah' but the website on the shop front is ggbyfatmiah.co.uk ; we also see Scrantastic, Baltic Paradise and Ci Ci Fleur.

A glorious sunny day takes us to the A556 and a shuttered Windmill at Tabley. Then the Smoker at Plumley - Heritage Works and hence scaffolding - alongside Bax Bees Honey Farm.

Thereafter the Weavers Whistle and Lion House in Middlewich, after Seddon Street, home of Middlewich Town FC. Through Wimboldsley with Old Hough Coarse Fishery and then the Verdin Arms and Walley's Green 🙄

That takes us to the Coach & Horses at Bradfield Green and then Wetherspoons' Marshfield Bank Farm House on the outskirts of Crewe. And a hot air balloon in the distance... as we arrive at The Excel.

£5 in at Nipper's and a crowd of 66, including several Allscott fans. It's a basic ground with entrance via the Sports Hub and only two sides in operation; the near end has two small covered terraces with seats to come...

The popular side has a walkway with several benches but there is no stand yet. Two sides are unnavigable and aside from the Hub, bar and car park, the pitch is bounded by the King George V Playing Fields.

Crewe are in blue with black shade, sponsored by Excelvent. The Monners are in all green, sponsored by The Kitchen Depot.

Five minutes in Heath take the lead. Crewe keeper Martin Blain drops a long throw in and Ben Summers scores from on the goal line.

Fifty seconds later we're all square. Zachary Billinge's cross is swept home by Kyle Vickers beyond Harry Dabbs.

George Cross misses badly for Allscott on 14 - a one on one sees him scoop the ball into Blain's arms with a very poor chip. But the Monners regain the lead at the midpoint thanks to a sublime free kick into the top corner by Carl Rogers.

Heath continue to fashion chances with Ben Davies wasting an opportunity after dispossessing the last defender, then having a shot saved at point blank range. For Crewe, Sean Cooke hits the post a minute before the break.

Still time for Edan Sears to hit a worldie from 30 yards in the third minute of stoppage time. Allscott lead 3-1 at half way.

In the second period Crewe's Joshua Maris has a long distance pop just wide early on. But the Monners continue to threaten and Juliano Da Silva clears off the line on 69.

Then Crewe are unfortunate twice: with a quarter of an hour to go sub Samuel Newman has his 'goal' disallowed for a push. Then two minutes on Sears is penalised for handball, but Dabbs saves the resultant penalty from Maris.

Matters are wrapped up with a minute left. Heath sub Jack Davies is played in and scores emphatically in the bottom corner as Allscott finish 4-1 winners.

Community Payback - Jockeys Pulled Up & Pay The Penalty...

And so to the Cottage Ground on Amos Lane in Wednesfield for a Macron Cup clash between North West Counties Division One South sides Wednesfield Community FC and Dawley Town FC.

The Cottagers were established in 1961 as Wednesfield Social FC, changing name to Wednesfield FC in 1989. Social joined the West Midlands (Regional) League in 1976, and after two successive promotions the club was elevated to the Premier League in 1978.

Champions in 1996 & 1997 brought promotion to the Midland Alliance. Relegation to the West Midlands (Regional) League happened in 2003 and after relegation and then promotion later Wednesfield became a member, post Covid, of the Midland League.

The Cottagers added Community to their name in 2023 and have finished next to bottom in their last two seasons; Community were reprieved and moved laterally to NWCFL 1 South this summer, now sitting 9th with 13 points from 9 games.

The away team, from the House of Jockeys, was established in 1970 as Telford Juniors FC. Juniors joined the West Midlands (Regional) League from the Mercian League in 2015 and departed during Covid.

The reboot, Dawley Town FC, the Jockeys, was set up for the 2020/21 season, winning the Shropshire League in the 2022/23 campaign (27 wins and one draw) and again last time with 26 victories, 3 draws and one defeat to achieve promotion to NWCFL 1 South, but only two points above Church Stretton Town. After a slow start and an Edward Case Cup elimination the Jockeys have ridden up to 12th, with 11 points from 8 games 🤔

Numberplates today are PH16BOG and P111MBR - two more Peter Higson vehicles. We also pass a van shouting 2PHAT2FLY... 

Drizzle turns to sunny spells as we pass Inhale Capital and hit the M6. Same old graffiti and advertising hoardings, bar one - 'Peak Wildlife Park - Walk With Capybaras'...

Off at Junction 11 to the A460 where Car Cruising is Prohibited. Then beyond Skirmish Paintball and through Shareshill and Featherstone.

Bypassing Essington, roadworks at Westcroft and then Signature Motorhomes, Bourne Ironing and Turkish Scissor brings us to Wednesfield. Amos Lane leads to Glen Badger Walk and the Cottage Ground.

We drive in and it's £8 admission, £5 for those deemed to be pensioners.... We park up at the top next to the clubhouse, behind which is parkland and a warm up area. The changing rooms are set to the side - today's crowd is 48.

En route we drive past the Robert Morris 'Moggsy' Stand - 31/03/58 - 01/11/20 - a covered benched stand. The near end is open and used for overflow parking.

The far side has the dugouts and is out of bounds. But again the ground is tree-lined, verdant and set in a very pleasant residential area.

Wednesfield are in red and black, sponsored by WBP Car Spares, and Dawley are in change sky blue, sponsored by CTR Commercials.

Community dominate the first period: home captain Harvey Dangerfield is denied by Jay Owen's legs in the first ten minutes. Rio Tetsell has an effort saved by Owen, and then just beyond the half hour Jamie King shoots too early and has a free kick well tipped over. Sam Sale also tries his luck but we reach the break scoreless; the Jockeys have barely saddled up.

Sale is involved in a goalmouth scramble five minutes into the second half, but two minutes later the Cottagers take a belated lead as Dangerfield heads home from a corner. That prompts Dawley's first effort with James Bennett-Tindall shooting across the face of the goal.

Sale has another opportunity before The Jockeys level on 73 minutes. Left back Finlay Murray flicks on a corner beyond keeper William Jones for an own goal; Murray is immediately substituted.

Then Dawley centre forward Dyerel Graham-Hoof is marginally wide five minutes later. Another chance for Sale and a bad miss sees him immediately substituted with eight left.

The best chance falls to The Jockeys in injury time but Graham-Hoof screws (hoofs ?) the ball the wrong side of the post. So 1-1 and penalties 🙄 

Nine penalty kicks, two saved (one by each custodian), one missed and Wednesfield triumph 4-2 to reach the next round 😀