WEEKEND PREVIEW: SIX-GOAL VALLEY AIM TO KEEP MOMENTUM ROLLING AT NOMADS

Mersey Valley head into another important Cheshire Football League Two weekend full of confidence following a magnificent 6-0 victory away at Wythenshawe Reserves.

After two frustrating weekends without competitive football, Jon Hudson’s side returned in spectacular fashion last Saturday, producing a performance full of quality, determination and attacking football to record their second six-goal victory over Wythenshawe in the space of a month.

The result lifted Valley into third place in the League Two table, with ten points from seven matches, and provided further evidence of the progress being made by a squad growing in confidence and belief.

This Saturday brings another familiar challenge as the Amber Army travel to Cheadle Heath Nomads Reserves, a side Valley defeated 4-0 at Banky Lane earlier in the campaign.

With league leaders Upton continuing their extraordinary winning sequence and the battle for positions intensifying, another fascinating weekend awaits across the Cheshire Football League.

Six Of The Best As Valley Return In Style

Twenty-one days without competitive football could easily have disrupted Mersey Valley’s momentum.

Instead, Valley returned to action with arguably their most complete away performance of the season.

Travelling to Dixons Brooklands Academy to face a Wythenshawe side determined to respond to their heavy defeat at Banky Lane in October, Valley produced a ruthless display to secure another emphatic 6-0 victory.

Wilson Usieme opened the scoring after 14 minutes before James Matthews doubled the advantage on 29 minutes. Captain Owen Adams added a third in the 56th minute, before Matthews took centre stage once again, scoring in the 58th, 71st and 73rd minutes to complete another extraordinary four-goal performance.

It was an afternoon when Valley combined attacking quality with an outstanding collective effort, securing another clean sheet and demonstrating the growing understanding throughout the squad. The victory means Valley have now scored 12 goals without reply in their two meetings with Wythenshawe this season.

But beyond the scoreline, it was the manner of the performance that provided the greatest encouragement. After a difficult opening to the campaign, the Amber Army are beginning to demonstrate the consistency, confidence and togetherness that will be essential as the season progresses.

Matthews Continues Remarkable Record-Breaking Run

There appears to be no stopping James Matthews.

Fresh from collecting Mersey Valley’s October Player of the Month and Goal of the Month awards, the Valley striker produced another unforgettable performance against Wythenshawe, scoring four times to take his tally against the Manchester side to eight goals in just two matches this season.

His extraordinary goalscoring form has become one of the stories of Valley’s campaign.

Matthews has now scored 12 goals across his last four league appearances, including hat-tricks or better against Pilkington and Wythenshawe, together with his dramatic stoppage-time equaliser against Haydock.

His latest performance also saw him establish a new club record by scoring in seven consecutive competitive matches. It is a remarkable achievement and another significant milestone in the club’s history.

But while Matthews continues to attract the headlines, the performances of those around him have been equally important. Valley’s attacking football has been complemented by improved defensive performances, while the contributions of players throughout the squad have helped transform the team’s fortunes.

With confidence growing, the challenge now is to maintain those standards.

League Two: Upton Make It Eight From Eight

While Mersey Valley were celebrating their emphatic victory at Wythenshawe, league leaders Upton continued their extraordinary start to the season.

The division’s pace-setters recorded a 4-2 home victory over Cheadle Heath Nomads Reserves, extending their perfect league record to eight victories from eight matches. With 24 points and a goal difference of plus 32, Upton have established a commanding position at the top of the table.

Haydock remain their nearest challengers, sitting second with 11 points from six matches, while Mersey Valley have climbed into third place on ten points. Wythenshawe occupy fourth with nine points, although their latest defeat means they have now lost four of their opening seven league matches.

Behind them, the table remains incredibly congested.

Warrington Rylands Development, Pilkington, Congleton Town Reserves and Barnton Reserves are all level on seven points, with the uneven number of matches played adding another layer of intrigue to the early-season standings.

For Valley, the recent improvement has been significant.

After losing their opening three league matches, Hudson’s side have collected ten points from their next four, winning three and drawing one. It is a run that has transformed the mood around Banky Lane and lifted the Amber Army into the upper reaches of the division. But with so much football still to play, there is no room for complacency.

Seven Goals For Rylands As League Two Delivers Again

Last weekend provided another reminder of the attacking quality and unpredictability throughout Cheshire Football League Two.

Warrington Rylands Development produced one of the standout results of the afternoon, recording an extraordinary 7-2 victory away at Barnton Reserves.

It was a remarkable response from a Rylands side who had experienced a difficult run of results, and demonstrated just how quickly fortunes can change in this division.

Elsewhere, Maine Road Reserves claimed an impressive 3-2 away victory against Congleton Town Reserves, collecting three valuable points in another closely contested encounter.

Upton maintained their perfect record with victory over Nomads, while Valley’s six-goal success at Wythenshawe provided another memorable afternoon for the Amber Army.

The results once again highlighted the competitive nature of the division, with goals, surprises and dramatic changes in momentum becoming regular features of the campaign.

Another Big Weekend Across League Two

Saturday brings another intriguing programme of Cheshire Football League Two fixtures, with several matches capable of having a significant influence on the table.

League leaders Upton face a potentially difficult trip to Barnton Reserves, who will be determined to respond after last weekend’s heavy defeat against Warrington Rylands.

Upton have been outstanding throughout the opening months, but Barnton have already demonstrated their ability to compete against strong opposition, and will be hoping to provide a stern examination for the unbeaten leaders.

Warrington Rylands Development will be looking to build on their seven-goal performance when they welcome Moore United. After such an emphatic victory last weekend, Rylands will be determined to establish greater consistency and begin climbing the table.

Wythenshawe host Congleton Town Reserves in a fixture that offers both sides an opportunity to respond to disappointing results. Wythenshawe will be eager to put last weekend’s defeat behind them, while Congleton will be looking to bounce back following their narrow home loss against Maine Road Reserves.

And at Cheadle Heath Sports Club, Mersey Valley face Cheadle Heath Nomads Reserves in another important encounter between two sides who have already met this season.

For Valley, Saturday offers the opportunity to build on last weekend’s outstanding performance and continue their climb up the League Two table.

Familiar Opponents Await At Nomads

Saturday’s meeting with Cheadle Heath Nomads Reserves will be the second encounter between the sides this season.

The first came at Banky Lane on 26 September, when Valley produced an excellent performance to record a convincing 4-0 victory.

That afternoon was a significant moment in the early stages of the campaign, providing Hudson’s side with their first league victory of the season after a difficult opening three matches.

Since then, both teams have experienced contrasting fortunes.

Valley have continued to improve, recording impressive victories over Wythenshawe and an encouraging draw against Haydock.

Nomads, meanwhile, have collected six points from seven league matches, with victories against Warrington Rylands Development and Moore United demonstrating their ability to produce positive results.

Their most recent outing ended in a 4-2 defeat against league leaders Upton, although scoring twice against the division’s outstanding side will provide encouragement.

For Valley, the challenge is clear.

The previous meeting provides confidence, but Saturday represents an entirely new contest.

Nomads will be determined to avenge September’s defeat, while the Amber Army will be looking to maintain their recent momentum and continue their climb up the table.

The Gaffer: Jon Hudson

Jon, after three weeks without football, you couldn’t have asked for a much better return against Wythenshawe?

I thought we were absolutely outstanding.

We’d had a really frustrating few weeks with the postponements and I think everyone was just desperate to get back playing football.

But what pleased me most was the attitude of the lads. We knew Wythenshawe would be determined to respond to what happened at Banky Lane, and we knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

I thought we approached the game brilliantly. We worked incredibly hard, played some excellent football and showed a real togetherness throughout the afternoon. To go away from home and win 6-0 against a side who have had some very good results this season is a fantastic achievement.

I’m incredibly proud of the players.

That’s now two 6-0 victories against Wythenshawe this season. What does that say about the progress being made?

I think it shows what this group is capable of when we’re at our best. But I wouldn’t get carried away with the scorelines.

Wythenshawe are a good side and we know that. Sometimes football can be like that, where things go your way and you take your opportunities.

What I take more satisfaction from is the overall performance. We’ve been working hard to improve in different areas and I think we’re beginning to see the benefits of that work.

The lads deserve enormous credit because they’ve stuck together through some difficult moments and kept believing in what we’re trying to achieve.

James Matthews has broken another club record. How special has his form been?

It’s been incredible, hasn’t it? James is in outstanding form and the goals he’s scoring are remarkable.

But I think the biggest compliment I can pay him is that he never stops working for the team. He’s not somebody who just waits for chances. He works hard, he competes and he contributes so much to the way we play.

To score in seven consecutive competitive matches is a fantastic achievement and something he should be incredibly proud of. But knowing James, he’ll be thinking about the next game rather than the last one.

And that’s exactly the attitude we want throughout the squad.

Valley are now third in the table after a difficult opening to the season. How pleased are you with that turnaround?

I’m pleased with the progress, but we’re not getting carried away. We lost our first three matches and we had some really difficult afternoons.

That doesn’t disappear just because we’ve had a few good results. But I said at the time that I believed in this group of players, and I still do.

We’ve taken ten points from our last four league matches, which is a really positive return, but the challenge now is to maintain those standards. The league table is incredibly tight and teams have played different numbers of games, so I’m not particularly interested in where we sit in November.

I’m more interested in how we’re performing and whether we’re continuing to improve. If we do that consistently, the results will take care of themselves.

This weekend it’s another rematch, this time against Cheadle Heath Nomads. What are you expecting?

Another difficult game. We played really well against them earlier in the season and deserved the victory, but that result won’t mean anything on Saturday.

Nomads have some good players and they’ve shown they’re capable of getting results against strong opposition. They’ll be determined to put right what happened at Banky Lane, just as Wythenshawe were last weekend.

We have to be prepared for that. I want us to approach the game with confidence, but also with respect for our opponents and an understanding that we have to earn everything.

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

Keep believing, keep working hard and keep enjoying your football. We’ve had some fantastic moments over the last few weeks and the atmosphere around the squad is really positive.

But we haven’t achieved anything yet. I want the lads to remember how difficult those opening weeks were and how hard they’ve worked to turn things around.

That’s what we have to build on.

Every game is an opportunity to improve, to learn and to show what we’re capable of.

We’re looking forward to Saturday and another opportunity to represent this football club.

This Weekend

Saturday 14 November 2026

Cheshire Football League Two

Barnton Reserves v Upton
Cheadle Heath Nomads Reserves v Mersey Valley
Warrington Rylands Development v Moore United
Wythenshawe Reserves v Congleton Town Reserves

Liverpool County FA Saturday Junior Cup

Liverpool Old Boys v Pilkington