North West Counties Football League

Division One South

Ellesmere Rangers 1

Stone Old Alleynians 5

Ellesmere Rangers’ nightmare week continued after they shipped five or more goals for the second time in six days, as Stone Old Alleynians ran riot at Beech Grove on Saturday.

Connor Courtney and Richard Brown’s men had been in great form in recent weeks, moving off the bottom of the First Division South and out of the relegation zone.

But after Monday night’s 6-1 thrashing by Maine Road, the co-managers would have been expecting a huge response from their side.

However, within five minutes, the Meremen were up against it after Sam Wilson put the visitors ahead.

Five minutes later, Jack Tomlinson had double Stone’s lead leaving Rangers up against and things went from bad to worse for the Sky Blues when on the half-hour mark, Jacob Vernon made it three.

But Ellesmere were thrown a lifeline five minute before the break when an own goal reduced the arrears and sent Rangers into the half-time interval feeling much happier.

Any further comeback would have needed to be instant but Stone kept the home sie at bay for much of the second half before extending their lead further.

Sub Matthew Thomas grabbed what was to be the first of a double on 70 minutes, adding his second seven minutes to leave Rangers well-and-truly beaten in front of a 64-strong crowd.

Rangers were given an instant opportunity to bounce back last night as they hosted Wythenshawe Amateurs at Beech Grove.

The defeat leaves Rangers still seven points above north Shropshire rivals St martins who occupy the solitary place in the drop zone, and three ahead of Barnton, with all having played 24 games.

On Saturday, Rangers will welcome former captain and goalkeeper Richard Cowderoy as his Cammell Laird side make the trip to Beech Grove.

Lairds have been in rollercoaster form over the last few months, and Rangers will hope to take all three points to take a step closer to safety.

It is a 3pm kick-off at Beech Grove on Saturday.

West Midlands Regional League

Premier Division

Wem Town 2

Pershore Town 3

Wem Town remain in the bottom three of the West Midlands Regional League despite pushing top-seven side Pershore Town all the way in a five-goal thriller at the Butler Sports Stadium.

The Reds will be ruing missed chances in a first-half that bore all the hallmarks of recent improved performances from the Wem men, but were ultimately punished by a side pushing for a top-four finish in 2019/20.

A club spokesman posted on Social Media: “A game of two halves.

“We dominated the first half and should have taken our chances.

“Pershore came out all guns blazes second half and took theirs. Positives to take but loads of hard work still to do. Onto Smethwick on Wednesday night!”

Wem will make the trip to a side that will be itching to play after their home clash in midweek with AFC Bridgnorth was postponed, and with no action on Saturday.

Wem are still on 13 points, two behind Shawbury United, who lost last midweek to Cradley Town have now jumped off the bottom and are three points behind Wem with two games in hand.

Wem will also travel to Littleton on Saturday, hoping to pick some points this week.

Meanwhile, last week, the Bowensfield men were unceremoniously dumped out of the TJ Vickers Cup after they were beaten 8-0 by North West Counties First Division South promotion pushers FC Oswestry Town.

The scoreline represented the gulf between the two leagues, leaving the Reds’ focus on survival.

Meanwhile, Shifnal Town maintained their lead at the top of the table with a comfortable 3-0 win over Bilston Town.

Bewdley Town remain six points behind as they picked up a routine 2-0 home win over Darlaston Town (1874).

Wolverhampton Casuals took advantage of Dudley Town’s weekend off to go third, level on points but with a far superior goal difference.

Dudley Sports have replaced Cradley at the bottom of the table, and they were edged out 2-1 at Black Country Rangers.

Shropshire Premier League

Prees United 4

Stoke Heath 3

Prees United have all-but-guaranteed a top-six finish in the Shropshire Premier Division after they edged out Stoke Heath in a seven-goal thriller. The Rec Men are now 10 points ahead of Stoke and Albrighton, who are level on 11 points, and are dreaming of catching the top five.Much depends on how the league will re-structure following the resignation of St Martins Village last week. The club has decided to call it a day after they were denied the opportunity to switch into the Welsh League system. Meanwhile, on Saturday, the top two sat out the weekend so the focus was on the battle for third, and it was advantage Gobowen Celtic. The Green and Whites smashed eight past Hopesgate United without reply, lifting them over Madeley Sports who were held to a 1-1 draw by Telford Juniors Reserves. It means Celtic are a point ahead of Sports, having played one game more, plus have closed the goal difference to five, with 13 compared to Sports’ 18.

Cheshire Football League

League One

Malpas 2

Windle Labour 4

Malpas slipped to a sixth league defeat of the season as they were bettered by title-chasers Windle Labour at The Oxhays. The Red and Blacks pushed Windle, taking the lead through Harry Cunningham before Windle levelled only for Sam Gresty to restore Malpas’s lead. Windle hit back three more times to take all three points with a solid 4-2 win, and put their own title ambitions back on track. This keeps Malpas 11th with Cheadle Heath Nomads reserves moving to within a point of the Wrexham Road side after they picked up a second consecutive 2-2 draw, following on last week’s point with Malpas with a draw at Maine Road Reserves.Cuddington beat Styal 2-1 while in the other game, Garswood United thrashed Cheadle Town Reserves 4-0. On Saturday, Malpas can put some daylight between themselves and Nomads when they meet at Wrexham Road 2pm kick-off.