West Midlands Regional League

Premier Division

Wolverhampton Sporting Community P

Wem Town P

Wem Town missed out on the chance to cut the gap between themselves, in the bottom three of the West Midlands Regional League Premier Division, and Shawbury United after their trip to the Black Country was called off.

With Shawbury underdogs for their trip to second-placed Bewdley Town while Wem were looking for three points over a team just three places above them in the league.

Wem, who have scored five and shipped in their two previous clashes against Bilston and Cradley, respectively, are still seven points behind their near-neighbours Shawbury, but have played five games more.

They would have been slightly worried by Dudley Sports’s 2-2 away at Worcester Raiders on Friday night, though they remain eight points ahead of the bottom-placed side.

On Saturday, Wem will aim to go one better than Dudley as they welcome the Raiders to the Butler Sports Centre for a home clash (3pm).

They will have one eye on down the road as Shawbury face Black Country Rangers, who will be looking to shore up their own top-six spot with a win.

Wem’s fellow bottom-three side – the much-improved Cradley Town – are also at home when they host Dudley Town.

Meanwhile on Saturday, only a small handful of fixtures managed to evade the heavy rains that have plagued the region since the turn of the year to feature some competitive action.

Pershore Town picked up a solid win away at Bilston Town, coming away with a 2-1 scoreline, while Dudley Town scored the only goal of the game in the victory over Darlaston Town (1874).

Shifnal Town remain six points ahead of Bewdley Town, having played two games fewer, but that lead could be cut to three by the time the leaders travel to Smethwick Rangers on Saturday, as Bewdley faced Littleton on Monday night, weather permitting.

Bewdley then travel to Wolverhampton Casuals on Saturday as the title race moves towards the final straight in March and April, with Wem’s old rivals in the driving seat to take the division.

North West Counties Football League

First Division South

Abbey Hey P

Ellesmere Rangers P

Ellesmere Rangers were given the opportunity to climb out of the North West Counties Football League Division One South last night.

The Meresiders, who started the week two points behind Alsager Town, hosted Wythenshawe Amateurs at Beech Grove and victory would have lifted them out of the relegation spots.

They were denied the opportunity for that on Saturday when their clash away at Abbey Hey – alongside the whole First Division South programme – was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.

It means the end-of-season fixture pile up is starting to show, with many of the sides in the South league having only played 24-29 of their 38 league fixtures so far.

With the rains showing no sign of abating, Rangers could expect to play more than once a week in the dying weeks of the season.

On Saturday, they will then have the small matter of a north Shropshire derby against promotion hopefuls FC Oswestry Town at Beech Grove.

A win would not only give them the bragging rights, but a crucial three points in their fight to stay in the division for a third year.

Kick-off on Saturday is at 3pm – weather permitting.

Shropshire Premier Division

Prees United sat the weekend out as, surprisingly, some of the Shropshire Premier Division’s programme went ahead, despite the heavy rains.

The Rec Men were denied the chance to bounce back from last week’s tight defeat to title challengers Wellington Amateurs Development side, with no fixture for the north Shropshire side.

Defeat on February 22 meant that Prees are still to draw in 2019/20, with a record of seven wins and eight defeats.

On Saturday, they travel to Hopesgate United hoping to restore their perfect symmetry, as well as exacting revenge on a side that took the surprise spoils in a five-goal thriller at The Rec Ground earlier in the season.

On Saturday, Gobowen Celtic kept the push on the top two as they won their own five-goal thriller at Stoke Heath while Wrockwardine Wood Juniors came away with all three points in a single-goal victory at Madeley Sports.

Cheshire Football League

League One

Malpas ended the month on a high following their 10-goal thrashing of Orford United last week, and moved into seventh spot.

The Oxhays side have struggled to put a run of form together in the league through a combination of poor performances, weather and cup runs.

But with victories over Orford and Ashton Athletic Reserves, the Wrexham Road side are into the top seven, with the chance of climbing higher still.

They are 15 points behind second-placed Windle Labour but have played four games fewer and while promotion is stull unlikely, the Red and Blacks could make a number of teams above them nervous with a good run.

One of those teams is Maine Road Reserves and Malpas will make the trip to Manchester to face the Blues on Saturday (3pm).

Then seven days later, in what will be the main test of their revival, Malpas will host league leaders Winstanley Warriors at the Oxhays.