And so to the Grange Sports and Social Club in Latchford, Warrington for a JA Walton Challenge Cup fixture between Cheshire League Division One sides Moore United FC and Windle Labour FC.
Moore United was established in 1946, entering the Warrington
and District Football League. Billy Green's Red and White Army joined the
Cheshire League Division Two in 2008/09 and, after demotion to the third tier
in 2014, was promoted back to League One in 2017/18.
But the last three seasons have been disastrous - 9 points from
17 games in 2019/20 finishing next to bottom at the curtailment of that
campaign. This followed by 7 points from 22 matches in 2020/21 and last place,
matched almost exactly by 7 points from 21 games, goal difference -61, this
time around - and last place again.
Windle Labour FC, from Dentons Green in St Helens, was
established in 1998 and formerly played in the Warrington & District
League, joining the Cheshire League for the 2016/17 term.
Promoted as League Two champions in their first season, Labour,
playing at the Sutton Leisure Centre, have been mid table in Division One ever
since. That said they lie fourth (of 15) currently albeit with 34 points from
22 games - the 3 teams below them have anything between 3 and 9 games in hand.
Onto Manchester Road and beyond The CatNap, Aura Apartments,
Antz In Their Pantz and Diva Den, litter strewn Altrincham streets and fallen
trees at Dunham Forest Golf Club to Thelwall. En route Armadillo Self Storage
and Van Diesel Transport with numberplates 1 MDB, T13 DRY (company of the same
name) and M33 WET (a Brooklands plumber !) to the centre of Warrington... and
another plate M2 YEW ☺
Past Kwality Printer and the demolition site that was Chevys into Salisbury Road and St Elphins Primary School brings us to the ambulance station. Adjacent, on waste ground, are three marooned boats and two abandoned caravans; over the River Mersey via Kingsway Bridge takes us to the Grange Sports & Social Club, with the rain thankfully abating - but not the wind !!
The clubhouse is on the left, changing rooms on the right and behind are two floodlit bowling greens, a mini astroturf pitch and the football field - resembling treacle and definitely without floodlights. A warm up pitch, with Victoria Park beyond the trees is alongside - cricket sightscreens at either end and the wicket coned off.
Moore are in all red with minimal white flashing, sponsored by Switching Cars - in such small type that it takes us an hour to decipher the words. Labour are in change aquamarine and navy blue, sponsored by JS Decorating - which is a lot clearer !! The crowd peaks at 5 but only two watch the entire proceedings on a slippery pudding of a pitch....
After a non-descript start Windle take the lead on 7 minutes - a right wing cross and strong header into the bottom corner. The next major talking point arrives midway through the half as the referee pulls up lame, hobbles to the changing rooms and, after an 11 minute delay, limps back to continue proceedings.
Labour hit the bar and also waste two great opportunities, with United's best chance a one on one sent wildly wide. Finally in the seventh minute of stoppage time a lucky ricochet leaves Windle's left winger space and he shoots across the keeper for an assured finish into the far corner to leave it 2-0 to the visitors at the break.
The second period starts quietly until Moore turn the tie on its head on the hour mark. A cross is turned in then two minutes later an assured finish from the edge of of the box makes it 2-2.
Parity only lasts for four minutes though with Windle converting a recycled corner - the header just beyond Moore's keeper. United hit the post but the game is finally put to bed with four minutes to go - Labour's forward, looking suspiciously offside, gathering the ball on the wing, cutting inside, beating two men and burying the ball into the net.
4-2 to Windle Labour at the death - which is spot on 4pm after an astonishing 15 minutes of injury time over the two halves....
