Reserves League Round-Up This Week

Neil Mellor

North End made it five wins in a row, after starting the campaign with five straight defeats, at Deepdale on Wednesday night as they put six goals past Rovers, although the visitors did manage to notch three in reply. Michael Ricketts opened the scoring for the Lilywhites on three minutes with an Andy Smith goal on 31 minutes sandwiched between two Neil Mellor strikes on 27 and 45 that sent the home side into the interval 4-0 up.

That lead would be stretched to a mammoth 6-0 as Mellor notched his third and fourth goals of the game on 52 and 62. Credit to table-topping Tranmere though, they never gave up and they did manage to make the scoreline a slightly more respectable 6-3 with three strikes in the last nine minutes. John Corrigan scored their first on 81 minutes, Mike Blundell added the second on 89 minutes and three minutes into injury time Dave Wilson completed the visitors scoring on the night.

A young Wrexham side had a bad night at Highbury, the home of Fleetwood Town FC on Wednesday as Blackpool won their home second-string fixture against the Red Dragons 4-0. The Seasiders went in front after just 23 seconds through trialist Dax Hoogerworf before Danny Coid doubled their lead on 20 minutes. Further goals from Phil Doran and Danny Mitcheley, after both sides had been reduced to ten men following a fight between Coid and the visitors' Levi Mackin, condemned Wrexham to the bottom of the table on goal difference.

Manchester City's Monday afternoon game at home to Chester had been due to take place at the Regional Athletics Arena, but storm damage meant it couldn't host the fixture. An alternative was sought, but an unsuitable pitch at Hyde United's Ewen Field meant the game had to be called off. Meanwhile United's scheduled match at Rochdale on Wednesday night was postponed due to a frozen pitch at Dark Lane, the home of Rossendale United FC.

That late fixture cancellation means it will have been a gap of nearly two months for the Blues reserves between their last Pontin's League fixture at home to Bury on the 13th of December and their next match at home to Blackpool on the 7th of February. That lengthy absence not helped by the fact that there are no fixtures arranged for United in the division for next week due to a full round of Football League games this coming Tuesday and Wednesday, although with spare time at a premium three games in hand will be played by various teams on Wednesday evening.



Results in the division this week :

Blackpool 4-0 Wrexham
Preston 6-3 Tranmere

Manchester City P-P Chester
Rochdale P-P Carlisle


Fixtures in the division next week :

Accrington Stanley v Oldham
Blackpool v Rochdale
Chester v Wrexham


Updated Reserve Team Table : Click here


United's Reserve Team Results : Click here