IT’S BEEN a hit-and- miss seven days for the new-look Whitchurch Alport with a mixed bag of results. 

The opening-day victory over Daisy Hill was followed by a terrific display which saw the Reds dismantle Eccleshall at Yockings on Tuesday night. 

That 5-0 win took Whitchurch to the top of the table – but on Saturday they were well beaten 3-0 at Holker Old Boys, who are likely to be pushing for promotion from Division One. 

The last time Alport ventured that far up the M6, they did so with a bare 11 and returned to Shropshire with their tails very much between their legs after an 8-0 hiding. 

But it’s a different WAFC altogether these days and the bulk of the squad travelled to Cumbria looking to make it three wins from three. Unfortunately for Luke Goddard and Carl Everall’s men, they couldn’t replicate their perform-ance from midweek and conceded three goals after two consecutive shut-outs. 

Goddard admitted he felt a defeat might be good for his side as it demanded a reaction – and he wanted to see it for the upcoming weekend clash with Charnock Richard at Yockings Park (3pm). 

“That’s North West Counties football for you,” he told me the day after the Holker game. 

“We can play a lot better than we showed on the day but in the bar afterwards, Holker officials were saying we’d got the makings of a good side."

*For a full page of Alport news, see this week's Whitchurch Herald.