2023/24 half season review - Division One

Will the nearly men of Division One football finally take that leap?

HASLINGDEN ST MARY’S have finished fourth in the last two seasons, close but no cigar to a return to the Premier Division for the first time since 2018-19.

In truth they were never really in the hunt for promotion last season but this could be their best chance since that pre-Covid relegation.

They are in third, four points behind Eagley in second and play the top two at home before the end of the season. Third time lucky?

The other side in that trio are ULVERSTON RANGERS who sit pretty at the top of the table at the turn of the year.

With former Vickerstown and Kendal forward Scott McDonald in their ranks, they are three points clear with 10 games to play.

They have lost three times this season and a solid run of form could see them home and back in the top flight.

Two of those three defeats were to an inspired KENDAL COUNTY side who turned them over 4-0 at home and 3-1 on their own patch in November.

They also boasted clinical away wins at Lytham Town and Hesketh Bank but were heavily defeated by Croston Sports and Haslingden so consistency continues to evade them in ninth.

On their day, no-one will want to face them.

The same goes for promoted side CHIPPING who are the division’s top scorers with 50 goals despite being in 8th.

Harris Bailey helped fire them to promotion last year and has 18 goals to his name this season, which alerted him to North West Counties League side Garstang.

Replacing his goals will be the key to any surge up the table.

That’s exactly what SOUTHPORT HESKETH must do if they want to avoid another drop.

They have two draws to their name this season and are 13 points off safety at the bottom.

They’ve had to blood youngsters and a draw at Haslingden and a late fightback at Crooklands Casuals despite no reward may signal a resilience they will need going into January.

They face two of the bottom four in the next two weekends so at least one win is essential.

After those matches, they face HESKETH BANK at home on January 20, a side who were expected to go one better and achieve promotion this time round.

The LFA Shield holders missed key players at the start of the season but Dan Birkby’s men have quality and they will be confident they can reel in Eagley and Ulverston at the top to hijack the top two slots come the end of April.

ASKAM UNITED are one point behind Hesketh Bank in fifth and could yet gatecrash the promotion run-in.

They have conceded as many goals as they have scored and are better away from home than at James Street.

A derby match against CROOKLANDS CASUALS awaits this Saturday and a solid start to 2024 is needed if they want the season to be prolonged.

The same can also be said of Casuals who also have 25 points but from one game more.

An 8-2 win at Southport Hesketh in September remains the stand-out result as well as a double over Holker Old Boys.

You suspect they’ll have to win eight of their last nine games to make the top two.

Two good wins in the Richardson Cup offers an alternative route to end of season celebrations.

And what of promoted side HOLKER OLD BOYS?

They sit in 12th, dragged down by away form that has seen six defeats on the road.

Like many, they have barely played this autumn but did win 4-0 away at Lytham in the Richardson Cup to keep their season alive.

CROSTON SPORTS are one place above them in 11th and have enjoyed some big wins against Southport Hesketh, Millom and Carnforth along the way.

Inconsistency has plagued them and they’ll need to improve that if they don’t want to be looking over their shoulder for too long.

EAGLEY didn’t kick a ball in anger in December but strong results before then – powered by the goals of Finlay Stafford and Kieran Lomax – has seen them occupy second place with 12 wins from 15 games.

Two thirds of their matches have been played at home so with three of their next four matches away, a tough January will be a true test of their promotion credentials.

LYTHAM TOWN are another side at a tipping point – a good run could lead to a surge into a promotion race.

But a defeat or two could signal the end of any lingering hopes of an immediate return to the top flight.

With an identical record to Crooklands Casuals, their seventh place position occupies the middle ground of a fascinating division.

CARNFORTH RANGERS finished eighth last season so this season’s 10th place position so far will be a disappointment.

A 1-1 draw at Hesketh Bank could be the story of their season – endless chances went begging and they had to settle for a point.

They have the bottom two still to play at home so they’ll be hoping to improve on that league placing for certain.

And finally MILLOM, they’ve lost six games by the odd goal and have only been beaten soundly twice so a place one off the bottom feels harsh.

They’ll be hoping to do the double over Carnforth this Saturday as they bid to reel in Holker Old Boys and Croston above them.

It’s all set up for a thrilling finale.