WEEKEND PREVIEW: VALLEY SEEK REVENGE AS RYLANDS RETURN TO BANKY LANE

Mersey Valley return to Banky Lane this Saturday determined to build on another encouraging performance when Warrington Rylands Development make the trip to Ashton-on-Mersey for their second meeting of the season.

Seven weeks have passed since the two sides met on the opening day of the Cheshire Football League Two campaign, when Rylands claimed a 3-0 victory in Warrington.

Much has happened since that September afternoon, with Valley experiencing the highs and lows of an extraordinary opening to the campaign. But there is growing confidence within the group following an impressive 6-0 victory over Wythenshawe and last weekend’s fiercely contested 1-1 draw with Haydock.

Saturday provides an opportunity to demonstrate just how far Valley have progressed since that opening-day disappointment.

With the league season beginning to gather momentum and the early promotion contenders looking to establish themselves, another fascinating weekend of Cheshire League football awaits.

Valley Earn Their Point In Haydock Battle

Last Saturday saw another entertaining encounter at Banky Lane as Mersey Valley and Haydock shared the points following a hard-fought 1-1 draw.

There has been no shortage of drama when these two clubs have met in recent seasons, and the latest meeting certainly maintained that tradition.

Following the previous weekend’s six-goal demolition of Wythenshawe, Valley faced a very different examination against a Haydock side who have established themselves amongst the early promotion contenders.

What followed was an excellent contest between two committed teams, with both sides demonstrating the qualities that make Cheshire Football League Two such a competitive division.

For Valley, there were plenty of positives to take from the afternoon.

The performance was another encouraging indication of the progress being made by Hudson’s rebuilt squad, particularly against opponents who have enjoyed a strong start to the campaign.

Although both teams will have wanted all three points, there was a sense that the draw was a fair reflection of an excellent game of football.

For Mersey Valley, it was another step forward and another performance to build upon.

League Two: Competition Continues To Intensify

The opening weeks of the 2026/27 Cheshire Football League Two campaign have produced some remarkable results, plenty of goals and no shortage of surprises.

Upton have been the early pace-setters, setting an impressive standard with their outstanding start to the season.

But behind the leaders, the battle remains wide open, with Haydock, Barnton Reserves, Pilkington and several other sides looking to establish themselves in the upper reaches of the table.

One of the most encouraging features of the division has been the level of competition throughout. Results have already demonstrated that very few matches can be taken for granted, regardless of league position.

For Valley, the early weeks have been something of a rollercoaster.

There have been frustrating defeats, outstanding attacking displays and some memorable victories, but the recent performances have offered plenty of encouragement.

The challenge now is to turn those positive performances into a sustained run of results and begin climbing the table.

Rylands Return For The Reverse Fixture

Saturday’s visitors will be familiar opponents to everyone involved with Mersey Valley.

Warrington Rylands Development provided the opposition for Valley’s opening league fixture back on 5 September, recording a 3-0 victory at Cardinal Newman Catholic High School.

It was a disappointing start for Hudson’s much-changed squad, who were still finding their feet following a summer of significant rebuilding.

Since then, Rylands have experienced a mixed start to their own campaign.

Following that opening-day victory, they suffered a 2-0 defeat against Wythenshawe before drawing 2-2 away at Moore United. Their most recent recorded league outing ended in a 4-2 home defeat against Cheadle Heath Nomads Reserves.

With both teams looking to find greater consistency, Saturday’s meeting offers an intriguing contest.

For Valley, there is also the added motivation of putting right the disappointment of that opening weekend.

Seven weeks on, the Amber Army will be hoping for a very different outcome at Banky Lane.

Before the game we caught up with manager, Jon Hudson.

Jon, another excellent game against Haydock last Saturday. How did you assess the performance?

I thought it was a really good game of football between two sides who gave absolutely everything.

We’ve had some fantastic battles with Haydock over the years and Saturday was another one. They’re a very good side, they’ve started the season well and I thought both teams contributed to an excellent afternoon.

From our point of view, I was really pleased with the performance. We showed some real quality, worked incredibly hard and competed throughout.

Of course, we wanted to win the game, but sometimes you have to recognise the positives in a performance and I thought there were plenty of them.

That’s now two very encouraging performances against Wythenshawe and Haydock. Are you seeing the progress you’ve been looking for?

Definitely, but I think we have to keep everything in perspective.

We’ve had some really difficult afternoons this season and we’ve made mistakes that have cost us points. Nobody is hiding from that.

But I’ve said all along that I believe in this group of players. We’ve got some very good footballers here and, more importantly, we’ve got lads who want to work hard for each other and for this football club.

The last couple of performances have been encouraging, but we have to keep building. We haven’t achieved anything yet.

Warrington Rylands were your opponents on the opening day. Does that defeat provide extra motivation?

I think naturally it does.

Nobody enjoys losing football matches, particularly 3-0 on the opening day when you’ve worked so hard throughout the summer.

But I don’t want us getting caught up in revenge or anything like that. It’s about showing how much we’ve improved since that first game.

We’ve played some very good football since then, we’ve had some difficult lessons and we’ve grown as a group.

Saturday is an opportunity to show that progress against a team who deservedly beat us in September.

The league is already looking incredibly competitive. What’s your assessment of the division?

I think it’s a really strong league and I’ve said that from the start. You look at some of the results every Saturday and there are very few games where you can confidently predict the outcome.

Upton have been outstanding, Haydock have impressed me and there are some really good teams throughout the division.

That’s what makes the Cheshire Football League such a fantastic competition. You have to earn everything and you have to be ready to compete every single week.

We’re still early in the season and there’s a lot of football to be played. We want to make sure we’re part of that conversation as the season develops.

Finally, what would your message be to the players ahead of Saturday?

Believe in yourselves and keep working hard. We’ve shown over the last couple of weeks what we’re capable of when we’re together, when we compete and when we play with confidence.

But the challenge is doing it consistently. I want the lads to enjoy their football, embrace the challenge and give everything for each other.

We’re at home, we’ve got an opportunity to build some momentum and we want to give our supporters another performance to be proud of.

That’s what Saturday is about.

Another Big Weekend Across League Two

Another fascinating Saturday awaits in Cheshire Football League Two, with the early-season battle for positions continuing to develop.

At Banky Lane, Mersey Valley welcome Warrington Rylands Development for the second meeting between the clubs this season. Rylands took the points on the opening day, but Valley will be determined to demonstrate the progress made over the past seven weeks.

Elsewhere, Maine Road Reserves host Barnton Reserves in an intriguing contest. Barnton have been amongst the division’s early challengers, although Maine Road have already demonstrated their ability to spring a surprise, recording an impressive 3-2 victory at Moss Farm when the sides met earlier this month.

Two Reserve teams go head to head as Congleton take on Cheadle Heath Nomads and Moore take on Pilkington.

The game of the day sees 2nd place Wythenshawe host 100% league leaders Upton.

With clubs having played different numbers of league matches and plenty of the campaign still ahead, every point remains important as the table begins to take shape.

Saturday 24 October 2026

Cheshire Football League Two

Congleton Town Res v Cheadle Health Nomads | 2:00pm
Maine Road Reserves v Barnton Reserves | 2:00pm
Mersey Valley v Warrington Rylands Development | 2:00pm
Moore United v Pilkington | 2:00pm
Wythenshawe Res v Upton | 2:00pm