Evo-Stik Week One Round Up
Simon Hahn brings us his review of the past week. After our false start on Saturday, Darlington picked up their first points of the season at rivals Spennymoor on Tuesday night. Two goals from Graeme Armstrong ensured Darlo would go home happy with a great result and performance.
Apart from the Quakers, three other teams remain with 100% winning records. Title favourites Salford City are one of these, winning both their games this week. They opened their account with a comfortable 4-1 victory over Scarborough Athletic. The game had been 1-1 at half time, but Gareth Seddon was the match winner with a second half hat-trick. On Tuesday night Salford picked up another impressive victory, this time 2-0 away to Warrington Town. Daniel Webber and Seddon both scored in the first half.
Lancaster City just missed out on the playoffs last season, but have started well this campaign. At the weekend they comfortably beat Farsley 3-0, Tom Kilfin scored two first half goals, with Aaron Taylor adding the third after the break. They made hard work of their midweek game at Burscough, but were still able to come away with the points. Liam Caddick scored twice in the first half for Burscough, as they led 2-0 at the break. However an own goal from Edward Peglar, followed by goals from Josh Draycott and Kilfin turned the game around as Lancaster won 3-2.
Newly promoted Brighouse Town started with two 2-1 victories. Both their goals came in the first twenty five minutes on Saturday at home to Radcliffe Borough, Thomas Matthews and Adam Field the scorers. Radcliffe pulled one back from Chris Mason late on, but it was not enough. Brighouse then won at Ossett Albion by the same 2-1 score-line thanks to goals from Ernest Boafo and Shaquille Clarke-Adams.
Spennymoor Town were able to win their opening game last weekend away to Padiham, 2-0. Two first half goals from Michael Roberts and Liam Henderson were enough for The Brewers to get off the mark.
Padiham did pick up a win in midweek though, 2-1 away to Kendal with both goals coming from Louis Mayers.
Scarborough Athletic bounced back from their defeat against Salford with a 3-2 victory against Harrogate RA. They had been trailing with quarter of an hour to go before a James Beadle double gave the Seagulls all three points.
Harrogate were the team to watch this week as their two games produced 15 goals. Before the Scarborough game, they played out a memorable 5-5 draw with Mossley. Nathan Cartman and Adam Baker both scored twice for Harrogate. However Steve Foster completed his hat trick with two minutes left to steal a point for Mossley.
Relegated Droylsden started in style on Saturday, as they won 7-1 away to last season’s playoff finalists Bamber Bridge. The score had only been 2-0 at half time, however the away side added five more including a hat trick from Fernando Moke. They were brought back down to earth though in midweek, losing 1-0 at home to New Mills, James Hampson scoring the only goal on the stroke of half time.
Northwich Victoria picked up four points from their two games and are yet to concede. In their first game they drew 0-0 with Kendal, before a Gary Burnett strike earned them a 1-0 win at Mossley.
At the other end of the table Clitheroe and Warrington are the only sides yet to pick up a point. Clitheroe lost 2-1 away to Ossett Town on Saturday, with Chris Ovington scoring the winner in stoppage time.
Ossett Town would then go onto lose to a late winner themselves on Tuesday, after Adam Priestley scored with minutes left for Farsley who snatched the points 2-1.
Darlo’s next opponents Burscough are on three points having won their first game away to New Mills. Daniel Grimshaw had given Mills the lead, but two second half Mark Beesley strikes saw Burscough win the game 2-1.
The final game from Saturday saw Prescot Cables and Ossett Albion draw 0-0. Prescot then lost in midweek away to Radcliffe Borough 3-1. Sam Grimshaw scored a double for Radcliffe.
This coming week Darlington travel to Burscough on Saturday, before hosting Kendal Town on Monday. Facing two sides who both finished in mid-table last season, Martin Gray and his players will be hoping to add to the points gained on Tuesday night.
Saturday fixtures
Burscough v Darlington
Clitheroev Brighouse Town
Droylsden v Harrogate RA
Farsley v Padiham
Kendal Town v Bamber Bridge
Mossley v Salford City
Ossett Albion v Northwich Victoria
Radcliffe Borough v Lancaster City
Scarborough Town v New Mills
Spennymoor Town v Prescot Cables
Warrington Town v Ossett Town
Look out for Simon’s weekly review each Thursday