2023/24 half season review - Division Two

A debut season that saw so much promise has been well and truly built on at ASTLEY AND BUCKSHAW.

A 10th placed finish in their debut season in the league, they have jostled for top spot with Freckleton and are well placed to finish off their mission this time round.

With a managerial change, they have done their talking on the pitch with a series of impressive wins, not least coming back from a goal down to see off Freckleton and showed their mettle earning a point at Storeys despite being three down at the break.

A shot at the title awaits.

This year’s newboys CATON UNITED are finding their feet and have relied on home comforts for their 11th placed slot at Christmas.

Good wins over Euxton Villa Reserves and Garstang Reserves, in particular, have made up for a struggle on the road. But as they continue to bed in, they could follow Astley’s progression quite easily come next season.

Last year it was PAUSE UNITED wearing the ‘newbie’ hat and they finished 14th.

This year they are heavily-tipped to make use of their games in hand to have a shot at promotion.

They are in sixth with 25 points and are scoring at almost four goals a game.

Pause have scored 10, eight, seven and six in resounding wins and also smashed five past CMB in an eye-catching Lancashire FA Shield win. With momentum, they’ll be hard to stop.

STOREYS are fifth and nicely poised for an assault on the top two.
They've beaten the top three - two of those away from home - so could be a dangerous side to face in the final few months.

With Matthew Poole and Joe Wareing in their ranks - Wareing delivered the league's most outstanding goalscoring performance of the season with five against Galgate in November - they should at least improve on last year's seventh place finish.

Another club on the up are GALGATE.

They had to seek re-allocation last season to stay in the league, which was granted, after finishing bottom.

They are faring much better this term in 10th and had an enjoyable December, with two straight away wins including a 7-1 demolition of Charnock Richard Reserves.

They restart with a tough home game against Walney Island – win that and who knows where they can end up after a turbulent 2022/23.

HAWCOAT PARK have found life tough since their relegation from Division One last term and prop up the rest in 14th.

Two home wins over Kendal United and Storeys are the stand-outs but they looked anything but basement boys when they held Premier Division champions Burscough Richmond to a 0-0 draw in the Richardson Cup.

Only penalties prevented them from progressing.
Harness that never-say-die spirit and they’ll be looking upwards.

Jordan Chubb has once again been in good goalscoring form for DALTON UNITED who are seventh after 16 games.

Again, few draws in evidence in Dalton games with them winning eight and losing seven of their 16 games with their only stalemate a 0-0 midweek draw at Hawcoat Park on a balmy Tuesday in August.

Ben Shirley will be looking for greater consistency starting at Pause United this weekend.

We started 2023/24 with four reserve sides in the division but lost AFC BLACKPOOL RES part way through autumn.

Struggling to raise a side and with some late call-offs, they resigned and their record was expunged.

That left Garstang, Euxton Villa and Charnock Richard as the three remaining clubs with reserve sides in the league, sides that can have a whole raft of results depending on availability of their first teams.

GARSTANG RES look best placed to follow Holker Old Boys Res into the higher division, sitting fourth.

Just don’t expect a draw – they haven’t had one in 16 games so far!

EUXTON VILLA RES haven’t played since November 25 and a bumper midweek derby against Charnock before Christmas was the latest to be hit by the weather.

Sam Burton has plundered 14 goals for the Runshaw Lane club and with 12 games still to go they could yet make a late charge to beat last year’s fifth place.

Down the road at CHARNOCK RICHARD RES it’s been tougher going, although they enjoyed six points against Storeys including the season’s most bonkers game, a 7-4 win up the M6.

They restart their campaign at home to KENDAL UNITED who boast a record more akin to a professional football side.

They have won six out of eight games at home but lost seven out of eight away. They have scored five goals on three occasions and have a positive goal record in ninth, with young Jonny Voortman turning heads up front.

The only side to beat Kendal United at home are FRECKLETON who are again well set to earn promotion.

They have strength in depth with a new reserve side this season and are determined not to repeat last season’s disappointment when they were the biggest losers following Burnley United’s late withdrawal.

They are the division’s top scorers with 57 goals in 15 games and have a perfect record at home.

They’ll be confident of getting the job done this time round.

WALNEY ISLAND missed out last year too in an epic promotion race and they lost the services of prolific marksman James Bailey, who has set the North West Counties League alight at Kendal Town since his summer move.

Zach Walker has stepped up to the plate with 13 goals as Walney sit third. They’ll need to turn the tide with their current form though, three straight defeats, if they want to haul in the top two.

Two away wins on two consecutive Saturdays in October breathed life into STONECLOUGH’S season after a difficult start.

They led three times at Freckleton in November before succumbing 6-3 so they have the goalscoring prowess to help them move up from 13th and away from danger.