Lions Roar In Valley Of Death - Knowsley Black & Blue Again...

And so to Valley Road in Flixton for a North West Counties Division One North fixture between Flixton FC and AFC Knowsley. This on a chilly, squally, blustery day with two weak rainbows appearing in the distance.

The home team was established in 1960, playing at Urmston Meadows in the South Manchester and Wythenshawe League. The Lions applied to join the Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur League in 1964 as Flixton Villa FC, and were accepted on condition of removal of the Villa suffix.

The club then moved to the Manchester League in 1973 and the NWCFL in 1986. The new ground at Valley Road was opened in 1995 by Sir Alex Ferguson and Flixton ascended to the Northern Premier League a year later as champions and FA Vase semi finalists, beaten by eventual winners Brigg Town.

The Lions were relegated back to the NWCFL in 2000 and the club was dissolved in 2012.

The new phoenix club was established in February 2025, after significant investment and ground refurbishment, playing in friendlies and local Cup competitions last season. Flixton FC was accepted into the NWCFL Division One North for the 2026/27 campaign, and are currently 4th with 24 points from 12 matches.

    

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 18th, of 22, with eleven points from twelve games.

Numberplates today are 6TH and P2 and we pass Chic and Caffeine, Hung Dragon and Spoilt Rotten. Then Carrington and into Flixton where we see That Tiny Bike Shop, The Furry Godmother and Feng Sheng.

That brings us to Woodsend Circle and Valley Road. £7 in, £4 for concessions and nothing for open gaters...a very tidy crowd of 388 is in attendance.

In the ground two sides are residentially bounded - one supporting the changing rooms and dugouts, the other the car park. At the top end is waste land and massive electricity pylons.

The popular side, behind which is the Manchester Ship Canal, is where it's all at. There is the covered Professor Tom Cannon Stand, all seater, next to which is the Match Day Hatch and The Lions Den bar and clubhouse. In the far corner is an electronic scoreboard, functioning extremely well.

The Lions are in dark blue and white stripes, with no shirt sponsor. The Blues & Blacks are in change orange and black, sponsored by Montirex.

Knowsley have the first attempt on 8 minutes with Liam Bott's flying header straight at Lions' keeper Joshua Ollerenshaw. That soon changes as Lewis-Simon Byrne has a shot blocked, then on 13 is played in, dummies Gabriel Gray in the away goal, and a trailing defender, and scores into the roof of the net; Flixton lead 1-0.

Thereafter it's all Lions: Aaron Dwyer has two opportunities, a shot diverted and then from the resulting corner well saved. He hits the post with his next chance on 32.

But the second goal isn't long in coming. Four minutes later Kieron Molloy's hanging cross is met rather uncertainly and the ball nestles in the corner of the net. Probably an own goal but Dwyer claims the credit... 2-0 to Flixton at the break.

Straight after half time Byrne has a fine shot well saved. Then on 54 Dwyer has oceans of space, turns and strikes home via a deflection to make it 3-0.

Just before the hour Gray produces a dreadful clearance but atones with a super save from Byrne. Then on 65 some rare Blues & Blacks attacking action, with captain Stephen Brown stabbing wide from a corner.

Byrne badly sidefoots wide for Flixton but on 68 Brown is adjudged to have committed handball in the box. Dwyer converts the penalty and the Lions lead 4-0.

Substitute Uche Chinohso Eze hits the post for Flixton and Jordan Butterworth and Milan Lalkovic go close. Then a monstrous goalmouth scramble with 5 to play, and Byrne hits the post in injury time - 4-0 to the Lions at the death and all too easy...

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 😊