It was another hugely disappointing day for Mersey Valley who suffered a third straight defeat after a Newton-le-Willows fightback in the second half.
SATURDAY 29TH MARCH 2025
CHESHIRE FOOTBALL LEAGUE
LEAGUE 2
Mersey Valley dropped out of the promotion position after a dreadful performance against Warrington Rylands Development squad.
A bad day in the rain for Mersey Valley
For the first time this season Valley failed to score but did produce a number of good chances but failed to really test the home side keeper.
Warrington took the lead after just 3 minutes. Martin capitalising on an error to fire past Phillips.
It took Valley twenty minutes to find their rhythm but they got on top but failed to created any really clear changes despite a number of corners and free kicks.
The second half became a really open game with both sides having great chances to score, Sam Phillips with two brilliant saves to deny Martin and the impressive Jones.
The full-time whistle went and it was another hugely frustrating day for Mersey Valley.
FT: Warrington Rylands Dev 1 Mersey Valley 0
MVFC: Phillips, Wilson, Dignan, Evans (Goldrick), Greenwood, Roach, Riley, Adams, Johnson (Fraine), Skelton, Woolley (Downing)
Subs Not Used: Hough, Taafe
Goals: None
Booked: Greenwood, Woolley
Warrington Rylands Dev: Eyres, Harvey, Hughes, Hunter, Jones, Kehoe, Martin, Pendlebury, Whalley, Williams
Subs: Armstrong, Cooper, Green, Hives, Paynter
Goal: Martin 3
Booked: None
Referee: Raymond Duncalf
The young keeper produced a number of brilliant saves in the second half to keep Valley in the game but was let down by a really poor performance from the rest of the team.
SATURDAY 22ND MARCH 2025
CHESHIRE FOOTBALL LEAGUE
LEAGUE 2
A brilliant second half comeback from Stretford Paddock saw the visitors put a huge dent in Mersey Valley’s promotion push at Banky Lane.
Ewan Roach opens the scoring for Valley
The home side started well, playing with a high intensity and looking to put pressure on the visitors and took the lead on 15 minutes. Evans with a long throw into the box, flicked on by Greenwood and turned home with a great turn and finish by Roach.
Paddock hit back, a great strike hitting the bar but the home side were dominant, a direct style causing Paddock problems but a lack of quality when needed in the final third let the home side down.
Huge injury blow for new signing Lewis Price
It was always going to be a big second half and fair play to the visitors, they tweaked their system and started putting Valley on the back foot. They should have equalised when sub Watters found himself free 10 yards out but he fired over the bar.
Mike Woolley thought he’d doubled the lead but was judged offside and the home side suffered a huge blow when Lewis Price was forced off with a knee injury that has unfortunately ended his season.
Paddock were in complete control of the game but defensively the home side looked solid and it took a controversial own goal to level the game up, the referee deemed the ball had crossed the line through a very crowded box and gave the goal.
Nothing controversial about the winner, the impressive Zak Bell fired home from 20 yards out to send the Paddock fans into delirium and win the game for Paddock.
FT: Mersey Valley 1 Stretford Paddock 2
MVFC: Cooke, Howarth, Dignan (Wilson), Evans, Greenwood, Roach, Price (Goldrick), Adams, Riley, Skelton, Woolley (Fraine)
Subs Not Used: Chaddock, Taafe
Goals: Roach 15
Booked: Evans, Adams
Stretford Paddock: Salceanu, Adewale, Burke, Andrade, Hall, Hugo, Oatt, Olatunji, Pratt, Bell, Coleman
Subs: Sofola, Watters, Irvine, Kemp, Cole
Goal: Own Goal 73, Bell 76
Booked: Pratt
Referee: Lee Hurst
Another goal for the centre half and a commanding performance against a strong forward line. Won everything thrown at him in the second half.
SATURDAY 15TH MARCH 2025
CHESHIRE FOOTBALL LEAGUE
LEAGUE 2
Mersey Valley got themselves back into the promotion picture with a brilliant controlled victory over Hartford in their first league game in December.
There were three debutants in the team, Lewis Price starting and two exciting youngsters Jimmy Taafe and Charlie Hough named on the bench after joining for the rest of the season from National League side Altrincham.
Price, the former Denton Town man wasted no time giving the home side the lead on 9 minutes after a corner.
The visitors hit back with their first attack, poor marketing from the midfield gave Gallimore all the space he needed to equalise.
The game was fast and furious as the home side took the lead again, Adams with a powerful header over the top for Woolley to pick up and curl a beauty past the keeper.
Ewan Roach made it 3-1 just before half-time
The home side dominated and got their reward with two more goals before half-time. Roach headed home after more good work by Adams and then Woolley grabbed his second, this time a powerful right footed drive after good work by Howarth.
Woolley completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after a handball. The game was scrappy in the second half, a number of substitutions didn’t help the flow of the game but was great to see debuts for Taafe and Hough who both played well when they came on.
Hartford grabbed a late goal to make it 5-2 and the woodwork was hot twice as Valley went close for more goals.
Results in other games meant it was back into second place for Mersey Valley with more big games coming up.
FT: Mersey Valley 5 Hartford 2
MVFC: Phillips, Howarth, Dignan (Hough), Evans (Chaddock), Greenwood (Taafe), Roach, Price (Acton), Adams, Riley, Skelton, Woolley (Downey)
Goals: Price 9, Woolley 14, 45, 52 (pen), Roach 43
Booked: None
Hartford: Barber, Twibell, Cookson, D Jones, Woodward, Gallimore, Bottrill, E Jones, Lewis, Gerrard, Lord
Subs: Hargreaves, Cooper, Ghader, Roberts, Dunn-Stockall
Goal: Gallimore 12, Lewis 78
Booked: None
Referee: Aston Bradshaw
An excellent hat-trick for the winger, a great left foot finish followed by a right foot drive and then completed with a coolly taken penalty. Been in great form in 2025 with 6 goals in his last 5 games and now has 9 for the season.
SATURDAY 22ND FEBRUARY 2025
NORTHERN CUP
THIRD ROUND
Mersey Valley’s 2024/25 cup campaign ended with a third consecutive defeat and an exit from the Northern Cup after a undeserved home defeat by Cheshire League 1 side Upton.
It needed two superb second half goals from the visitors to win the game after Owen Adams and Mike Woolley had put the home side 2-1 in front.
A nasty injury to Niall Goldrick was the game changing moment and he joins the ever increasing injury list at the club.
All the focus now turns to league football with 10 huge games left this season.
FT: Mersey Valley 2 Upton 3
MVFC: Cooke, Renshaw (Chaddock), Dignan, Evans, Greenwood, Adams, Goldrick (Acton), Howarth, Fraine, Skelton, Woolley
Goals: Adams 24, Woolley 51
Referee: Tony Martin
Another outstanding performance from Adams, captain with Joel Riley injured he put in a brilliant performance at centre half, won everything and also scored the first goal. Having a brilliant season.
One year ago, we travelled to play Winsford Town in a Cheshire League Two game – we lost the game 6-1, outplayed and out fought it was a day that we realised how tough the challenge would be to achieve our ambitions as a football club.
The last two weeks have been a reminder to us the levels we need to reach – a heartbreaking last-minute defeat to League One Billinge New Street in the JA Walton Cup was then followed by a humbling 6-2 defeat at Altrincham Hale, another side one level higher than us, in the Quarter Final of the Altrincham & District FA Cup.
Valley sit in second place in the league table, one point behind unbeaten leaders St Helens Town who also have two games in hand. They’ve been in incredible form this season and it would take a huge drop for them to fail to hold on to top spot.
Stretford Paddock currently sit in third place – two points behind Mersey Valley – having played the same number of games. The pre-season favourites have won eight league games in the bounce since suffering back-to-back defeats in September.
Another pre-season favourite Lymm Rovers are also in a good position, sitting fourth on twenty-nine points but have hit form with three straight league wins after their mid-season wobble.
Hartford and Haydock may also consider themselves in the mix but with Hartford losing their manager to Premier League Lostock Gralam and Haydock only having eight games left it may be too much for either side to get into the top two.
It promises to be an exciting final few months of the season. Valley still have to travel to St Helens and Lymm and also welcome Stretford Paddock to Banky Lane – a game everyone is looking forward too.
SATURDAY 8TH FEBRUARY 2025
ALTRINCHAM & DISTRICT FA CUP
QUARTER FINAL
A very bad day for Mersey Valley yesterday as they crashed out of the Altrincham & District FA Cup after a humiliating 6-2 defeat at the hands of Altrincham Hale.
The home side were impressive, especially their striker who caused problems all game.
The home side led 2-0 before a brilliant goal from Niall Goldrick and clever free kick from Joel Riley brought the game level again.
However, the home side found another gear and scored four more times in the the final twenty minutes to seal a deserved win.
Further bad news for Valley in the final minutes when captain Joel Riley suffered a dislocated shoulder.
A day to forget.
FT: Altrincham Hale 6 Mersey Valley 2
MVFC: Cooke, Renshaw (Goldrick), Dignan, Evans, Greenwood, Howarth, Riley (Downey), Adams, Fraine, Skelton, Woolley (Acton)
Goals: Goldrick 55, Riley 60
Booked: Skelton
A difficult day all round but Adams played well, dropped back into centre back after the tactical chance and was solid dealing with difficult Altrincham Hale strikers.
SATURDAY 1ST FEBRUARY 2025
J A WALTON CHALLENGE CUP
SECOND ROUND
A last minute goal saw League One side Billinge New Street make it through to the Quarter Finals of the JA Walton Close.
With the home side already missing key players, in-form Mike Woolley had to drop out after hurting his back in the warm up.
The game was a close battle with the home side feeling very hard done by to be knocked out of the competition – Billinge keeper Daniel Still with a man of the match performance.
The visitors took the lead early but goals from Sam Deering and Aaron Johnson fired Valley ahead before two late goals swung the tie.
FT: Mersey Valley 2 Billinge New Street 3
Sam Deering fired Valley back into the game.
MVFC: Phillips, Howarth, Dignan, Evans, Greenwood, Wilson, Deering, Adams (Johnson), Riley, Skelton, Fraine
Subs Not Used: Renshaw, Woolley, Acton, Downey
Goals: Deering 34, Johnson 72
Billinge New Street: Still, Dixon, Garvey, Gerrard, Hallwood, Martin, C Simpson, R Simpson, Wright, Bacon, Eaton
Subs: Hoskinson, Pilling, Dougherty, Hallwood
Goals: Dixon, Gerrard, C Simpson
Booked: Dicks, D Owens
Referee: Euan Kay
Another brilliant performance from Sam Deering and another goal. Drafted into the squad late in the day but doesn’t disappoint.
SATURDAY 25TH JANUARY 2025
ALTRINCHAM & DISTRICT FA CUP
SECOND ROUND
An out-of-sorts Mersey Valley made it through to the Quarter Finals of the Altrincham & District FA Cup after a crazy 11-goal thriller with Baguley Reserves.
Adams opened the scoring with a header
The game played on a dreadful pitch was lively from the start. Mersey took the lead when Owen Adams headed home from a Riley corner. However, the home side quickly levelled things up after an error keeper Brad Cooke.
The referee then awarded Baguley a penalty after judging Cooke had brought down the striker, a decision that baffled most of the Mersey Valley players. The penalty was dispatched, and the home side now led.
The lead didn’t last long, Goldrick with a brilliant switch to Mike Woolley who cut inside and fired the ball past the keeper to make it 2-2.
There was time for one more goal and another controversial decision by the keeper. The Baguley striker looked offside but the official waved play on and he kept his calm to slot the ball past Cooke.
HT: Baguley Athletic Reserves 3 Mersey Valley 2
Valley made a chance at half-time. Wilson replaced Goldrick, who was struggling with a knee injury with Jordan Downing being moved further forward.
In-form Mike Woolley with another 2 goals including a brilliant second.
Valley started well and was soon level with the goal of the game from Mike Woolley, cutting inside and unleashing a brilliant curling shot over the keeper into the roof of the net.
Valley then took the lead, a lovely move that ended with Riley curling a brilliant cross to the back post, that was met by a fantastic diving header from Adams.
Both sides were throwing everything into the game but the home side got the next goal, a bizarre free-kick cross that sailed over everyone into the back of the net and then they took the lead with a breakaway goal smashed past Cooke.
Time was running out, but Valley regrouped and showed their quality. Firstly, Downing was on the ball to seize on an error and fire the ball past the keeper, and then, with the game minutes away from a penalty shoot-out, Reece Skelton saw his shot deflected past the keeper into the back of the net to seal the comeback and the victory,
All credit to Baguley who didn’t really deserve to lose the game.
HT: Baguley Athletic Reserves 5 Mersey Valley 6
MVFC: Cooke, Howarth, Dignan, Evans, Greenwood, Downing, Goldrick (Chaddock) (Wilson), Adams, Riley, Skelton, Woolley
Subs Not Used: Renshaw, Acton, Downey
Goals: Adams 6, 60, Woolley 19, 54, Downing 83, Skelton 89
Booked: Woolley, Cooke
Referee: Honghai Chu
A captains performance from Riley – worked hard and also assisted three of the goals. Has been one of the most consistent performers all season and now has 18 goal contributions in all competitions.
SATURDAY 18TH JANUARY 2025
NORTHERN CUP
SECOND ROUND
Mersey Valley opened up 2025 with an impressive all-round performance against Liverpool side Collegiate in the Second Round of the Northern Cup.
Dylan Fraine opens the scoring – the 600th goal in the clubs history
Mersey Valley started the game well and took the lead after 10 minutes – Dylan Fraine with a great turn and finish past the keeper.
The second soon followed, and it was a brilliant team goal. Skelton, Riley, and Fraine combined and the ball was fed out to Goldrick, whose cross was brilliantly flicked home by Sam Deering.
Goldrick went close with a free kick before Deering played a quick one-two with Dylan Fraine and fired home to make it 3-0.
It was 4-0 when Goldrick pounced on a defensive error to fire home and just before half time it was 5-0, Woolley creating the opportunity for Deering to complete his hat-trick with a great turn and finish.
HT: Collegiate 0 Mersey Valley 5
The visitors flew out of the blocks. Deering went close, and Riley should have scored after a great run. Fraine then bagged his second of the game, Riley with a great free kick that was headed back across goal by Owen Adams and Fraine was on hand to head home.
Riley made it seven with a smart finish and Fraine completed his hat-trick with a lovely finish.
Arguably the goal of the game came from the home side, after Cooke had made a superb save the corner that followed saw a brilliant overhead kick fly past the keeper.
James Acton with his first goal for the club
The final act was a great moment for James Acton who scored his first goal for Mersey Valley to round off a great start to 2025.
FT: Collegiate 1 Mersey Valley 9
MVFC: Cooke, Renshaw, Woolley, Skelton (Chaddock), Greenwood, A Howarth, Deering, Adams, Fraine (Downey), Riley, Goldrick (Acton)
Goals: Fraine 10, 50, 80, Deering 16, 25,42, Goldrick 38, Riley 55, Acton 84
Another Man of the Match Award for Greenwood after an impressive performance at the heart of the Mersey Valley defence. It was a fantastic team performance with everyone playing well but Greenwood was on top form, winning every challenge and not giving the Collegiate strikers a chance.
