Premier Division leaders BRADFORD PARK AVENUE maintained their unbeaten away record and made it 8 straight wins with a 2-0 success at BURSCOUGH which sent them three points clear as RETFORD UNITED lost on the road for only the second time when going down at WHITBY TOWN. That defeat relegated them to third as BOSTON UNITED went above them on goal difference with a 2-1 victory at home to BUXTON. Fourth and fifth placed NORTH FERRIBY UNITED and GUISELEY fought out a 1-1 draw that did neither side much good but Gary Bradshaw’s penalty gave him a club record of 164 goals. HUCKNALL TOWN, winners at STOCKSBRIDGE, and ASHTON UNITED with a point at WORKSOP TOWN are both level on points with Guiseley but both have played a lot more games than the Yorkshire side. At the other end of the table OSSETT TOWN badly needed to win against bottom club DURHAM CITY which they duly did and with FRICKLEY ATHLETIC losing at home to MARINE they are now only a point adrift of Frickley. Another side desperately seeking a win were MATLOCK TOWN and they too obliged with a home win that dented KENDAL TOWN’s play-off hopes. Today was the anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster and FC UNITED of MANCHESTER marked it with their best win of the season hitting six at NANTWICH TOWN.

One of the shocks of the season in the First Division North came at leaders LANCASTER CITY who, after coming from a goal down in midweek to CLITHEROE to make it eleven home wins on the bounce, crashed 0-3 to lowly GARFORTH TOWN on Saturday. COLWYN BAY moved to within three points with a 2-1 win at BAMBER BRIDGE who had taken their first points of 2010 with a midweek win over CHORLEY. Two draws in the week for FC HALIFAX TOWN at MOSSLEY and WAKEFIELD saw them lose ground but fourth and fifth SKELMERSDALE UNITED and CURZON ASHTON both won and the top five are now pulling away from the rest. LEIGH GENESIS lost their unbeaten home record going down 2-0 to CHORLEY and they also lost sixth spot to WARRINGTON TOWN who had OSSETT ALBION leading scorer Shane Kelsey to thank for all three points when he missed a 94th minute penalty. At the bottom of the table there was a first win on the road for ROSSENDALE UNITED but they stay on the last rung as next to bottom HARROGATE RAILWAY also won to leave their victims WOODLEY SPORTS still without an away win. 

One point separated the top five clubs in the First Division South going in to Saturday’s games but the points difference spread to four by close of business with newcomers MICKLEOVER SPORTS hitting top spot when they maintained their unbeaten home record with a 3-0 success that made it six games on the bounce since they conceded a league goal. Their victims GLAPWELL dropped from third to seventh so tight is it at the top. Last week’s leaders CHASETOWN slipped to third when held at LOUGHBOROUGH DYNAMO with SHEFFIELD moving up to second from fifth with a win over SPALDING UNITED who are still without a win on their travels. Fourth place RUSHALL OLYMPIC also dropped points in a goalless home draw against BRIGG TOWN enabling both BELPER TOWN and WITTON ALBION to move to within a point of Olympic with home wins over KIDSGROVE ATHLETIC and GOOLE AFC respectively. Kidsgrove at least hit their first goals of 2010 but it was Witton who took the eye with a 6-0 thumping of the “Vikings”. Elsewhere LEEK TOWN kept their unbeaten home record but QUORN are still without an away win after going down 0-4 at LINCOLN UNITED.

The UniBond “Fair Play” awards for January have gone to NORTH FERRIBY UNITED, BAMBER BRIDGE and BELPER TOWN respectively. Ferriby took the top tier prize with just one caution in three games whilst the First Division North accolade went to Bamber Bridge with an average of one caution per game. In the South, Belper took the plaudits with two cautions in four games played. 

In the season to date tables Ossett Town have closed the gap on Boston United at the head of the Premier Division whilst First Division leaders AFC Fylde, who looked home and dried for the end of season £1,000 cheque in that Division, now have Warrington Town breathing down their necks. The South Division has seen a change of leader with Kidsgrove Athletic going back to the top after Mickleover Sports had ousted them in December.

 

One of the main architect’s behind Market Drayton Town’s rise to the UniBond League, Simon Lines, has returned to the Shropshire club some six months after resigning his position as manager to take over at Hednesford Town. Lines resigned as manager of the “Pitmen” on 26th January and the current Market Drayton boss Andy Preece immediately alerted the club to their former manager’s availability and Lines will now resume his old role from 13th February. Preece will remain at the club as Assistant to Lines with Mick Murphy continuing as coach.

 

FC United’s dominating central defender Adam Tong will leave the club in March to pursue his football career in Australia. The former Burscough and Bamber Bridge player has been unemployed for some time and has decided to take an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of two other FC United players, Nicky Platt and Nick Robinson, who have also moved to Australia to make a career down under. Assistant Manager Roy Soule said “He has done a great job for us and we wish him all the best”.

Tong had an outstanding match when Burscough knocked out Gillingham of the FA Cup in 2005 and seemed to have a career in the full time game beckoning only to break his leg at a crucial time in the next round against Burton Albion where the winners knew they had a dream home tie awaiting against Manchester United.

 

Another player to move out of the UniBond League is Cammell Laird midfielder Ryan Wignall who signed a full time contract with Belgian club Racing Montegnee just as the transfer window was about to close. The former Liverpool Academy player only signed for Lairds in late 2009 after becoming something of a cult hero with community club AFC Liverpool. Manager Alex Hay said “Ryan came and was doing a very good job for us as his pace is lively enough to cause any defence problems. But if you get offered a full time contract until the end of the season it is very difficult to turn down especially in a decent League in Europe”.

Former Vauxhall Motors and Chester City player Paul Taylor used Montegnee, a Belgian Fourth Division club, as a stepping stone to signing for Anderlecht in the same January transfer window before being immediately loaned out to Royal Charleroi.

 

Former England Under 17 international Sean Doherty was on the move again this week less than a month after signing for Witton Albion. Marine snapped up the 24 year old left sided midfielder who won his caps whilst with Everton before moving to Fulham for a significant but undisclosed fee. He also gained recognition at Under 20 level but failed to break through to first team level whilst at Craven Cottage and went to Dutch side Den Haag in 2005. He returned to English football in 2007 and played for Port Vale and Accrington Stanley before moving abroad again to the Belgian League with Royal Antwerp. His last stint prior to joining Witton Albion was with Irish team Sligo Rovers where he was a regular last season making 36 appearances. He becomes Marine’s fourth signing in a month with manager Kevin Lynch saying “He is an exceptional player who will prove to be a massive addition to the team providing us with extra balance in midfield”.

Former Peterborough United midfielder Richard Scott has been appointed manager of Spalding United. Scott, who joined the Tulips in January ‘09 as a player, has been looking after the team as caretaker manager since the resignation of Mark Hone at the beginning of November last year and was offered the manager’s position at an executive meeting of the club on Thursday evening when he readily accepted.

Club press officer Ray Tucker said that Scott was one of a number of candidates interviewed for the manager’s job. “He ticked all the right boxes. After stepping into the breach following Mark Hone’s departure Richard was guaranteed an eight match sequence in which to prove himself. Throughout that time his enthusiasm and desire to succeed and to maintain the club’s Lever-4 status, have been wholly evident.

On his appointment Scott said: “From the outset I made it very clear that I wanted the job and nothing has changed. I want to take the club on to better things”.

 

 

Wakefield have strengthened their links with the local Football Development Centre at Wakefield College with the appointment of their manager Ronnie Glavin as Head Coach of the Centre. Glavin, who won three Scottish League titles with Celtic in the seventies as well as being capped by Scotland, will oversee training and match days 

for both men’s and women’s teams at the College. 

Wakefield Director Pete Bevils said “Our club is delighted to further develop its relationship with Wakefield College and its Football Development Centre. A football culture is very much needed in Wakefield and is in fact now beginning to grow. Ronnie’s appointment should be a major boost to the College and will ensure a much closer link between the College’s players and both the junior and senior set ups at Wakefield FC”.

 

In the current economic climate Frickley Athletic were delighted to announce this week that the club’s main sponsor Tech5 have agreed a new deal that will run until the end of season 2011/12. The five figure package will see the “Blues” Westfield Lane ground continue to be known as the Tech5 Stadium whilst the Tec5 logo will cover both the club’s home and away strips.

Frickley Chairman Pete Bywater said “It is fantastic news for the club that Tech5 have agreed to continue their loyal support for another three years and the package will enable us to go in to our Centenary Season in 2010/11 full of confidence that we can build both on and off the pitch”. Tech5 Director Colin Theedom added “It is a pleasure to be associated with such a well run club and we are delighted to show our commitment”.

Leek Town manager Wayne Johnson, who has been working without assistance since coach Andy O’Connor left in November 2008, has signed former Stoke City, Sheffield United and Huddersfield Town player Paul Macari as player-coach. The son of the former Celtic, Manchester United and Scotland striker Lou Macari, the 33 year old has played for Leek previously making 24 appearances in 2004 scoring four goals. 

 

 BURSCOUGH

 Adam BLACK Accrington Stanley (Wk Exp)

 

FRICKLEY ATHLETIC

 Chris DAVIES Ilkeston Town

 

GUISELEY

 Melvyn KAMARA Barrow

 

HUCKNALL TOWN

 Niall O’BRIEN Harrogate Railway Athletic

 

MARINE

 Sean DOHERTY Witton Albion

 

NANTWICH TOWN

 Harry DAVIS Crewe Alexnadra (Wk Exp’ce)

 

OSSETT TOWN

 Lee MALCHER Brighouse Town

 Luke MALCHER Guiseley

BAMBER BRIDGE

 Chris THOMPSON Leigh Genesis 

 

CHORLEY

 Matthew TINDALL Colne

 

CLITHEROE

 Simon GARNER FC United of Manchester

 

COLWYN BAY

 Greg STONES Rhyl

 

CURZON ASHTON

 Luke MORGAN Stafford Rangers

 

LANCASTER CITY

 Jonathon SMITH Leigh Genesis

 

RADCLIFFE BOROUGH

 Gary SAMPSON Salford City 

 

ROSSENDALE UNITED

 Jonathon CROMPTON Port Vale

 Nicholas SWIRAD FC United of Manchester

 Ryan WILKINSON Maine Road

 Richard WINSTANLEY Ramsbottom United

 

WAKEFIELD

 Tom DENTON Huddersfield Town (Loan)

 Lewis NIGHTINGALE Huddersfield Town (Loan)

 

WOODLEY SPORTS

 Matthew TOWNS Prestatyn

 

 

BRIGG TOWN

 Robert CLARKE Doncaster Rovers (Loan)

 

GOOLE AFC

 Scott ELLIS Staveley MW

 Ben FURNISS Parkgate

 

GRANTHAM TOWN

 Kieron DAVIES Boston United

 

LEEK TOWN

 Anthony MALBON Port Vale (Work Exp’ce)

 

LINCOLN UNITED

 Liam BULL Lincoln Moorlands

 

LOUGHBOROUGH DYNAMO

 Sam LANCASTER Hinckley Downs

 

QUORN

 Asa INGALL Glapwell

 Matt NURSE Loughborough Dynamo

 Ian SMITH Sheffield FC

 Chris WHITE Southwell City

 

RUSHALL OLYMPIC

 David HAYWOOD Atherstone Town

 

SHEPSHED DYNAMO

 Liam O’NEILL Bedworth United

 

WITTON ALBION

 Ross LLOYD Burscough