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Cromford Canal 23Sep12
Today ... wet ... in fact wet enough to:
a) slow down the drying of the plaster ... which meant ...
b) couldn't buy/fit skirting board - it would have been soaked by the time I got it home ...
c) call off the Curzon Ashton v Prescot Cables game tonight ...
... and still it rains ... so we sulk in the front room (as the TV room is still small boy's temporary bedroom) listening to Seth Lakeman ... fingers crossed for football @ Hyde tomorrow ...
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... well I got there in the end - about ten minutes into the game after busting the proverbial gut to get finished as early a poss at work. However the problems were only just beginning ...
Set up my (snapper) stall - only to be accosted by the 50/50 draw ticket seller. Whilst fumbling for the requisite quid ... Belper scored - aargh ! Within minutes I was further accosted by two stewards ... "Have you got permission ?? You can't take photographs here without permission" ... UUHH ?? So ... I had to wander round to talk/grovel to some official before being allowed to continue. Sparked up a ciggie, half thinking I'd be told to put that out as well (and at half-time whilst having a quick pint of Pedigree - only £2-60 mind - I saw a sign above the door that said "This is a designated NON-SMOKING STADIUM" - bleedin' hell - bring back Ilkeston Town FC I say). With all this kerfuffle going on, the first half pretty much passed my camera by. There were stewards all over the place - far too many in my eyes; it seems that whilst the club has been "reborn"(pleased in that sense as I've a few mates down there who were having to struggle with watching Heanor Town !!), they are now a little bit "up themselves" - to put it politely.
The game was a "melange" of missed chances and defensive errors leading to goals. Belper will be happy with a replay I reckon - they could have lost it right at the death - and naturally they'll go into that replay knowing the draw for the next round ... pictures to be found at
Ilkeston FC 2 Belper Town 2 (FA Cup)
Game over - and unfortunately no time for a beer in Ilkeston - time for a chat with Ken (Belper "reserve snapper" behind Tim - aka "Snapper" - who'd been doing a wedding that day). He too had been told "NO PHOTOGRAPHY" - so had kept his gleaming new 5D in its bag. (Just hope Belper give similar grief to any Ilson snappers at Tuesday's replay - that'll learn 'em !!). Zig-Zagged back into Derby (FYI - a "ZigZag" is a cheap day bus ticket and nothing to do with my state of mind at 1700 hrs - I'd only had the one at half-time !) before catching a bus out to Milford - I was heading towards the "Holly Bush" in Makeney where Mrs Smiffy, her sister and a couple of other friends were knocking back small bottles of wine at an alarming rate (table was littered with 'em when I got there) !! However I was slightly delayed in Milford due to a sign above the "King William" ... the sign said "BEER FESTIVAL" ... and walking past a beer festival is tantamount to treason ... so after a half of "Strike" - Atomic Brewery, Rugby (3.6%) and a half of "Chimera" - Downton Brewery Salisbury (6.8% !! dangerously quaffable as well !!) I headed up to t'other pub. Beers, back to sister-in-laws for food, sleep, breakfast, walk up and down the Cromford Canal (a few pix to follow no doubt) - and then drive home, do pix and now this.
Great to see Mossley still top of the league after a 2-1 win at Radcliffe Borough !! Droylsden and the "two Ashtons" bowed out of the FA Cup whilst Stalybridge Celtic progressed with a 1-0 win over Vauxhall Motors. The other good news is that a plasterer turned up at our gaff today and did another room - so tomorrow night sees tidy up room - more skirting board etc rather than Curzon Ashton v Prescot Cables I'm afraid. Tuesday sees Hyde at home to Alfreton Town (another of those Derbyshire clubs where I know a few of the opposition fans ) - so I'll be doing that one !
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... went out last night for a meal - not just any old meal either - we went to Ramsbottom to sample the delights of Ramsons - which apparently is in the top 100 Restaurants in the UK. A pre-arranged night out which for a number of reasons became rather subdued - the one story that I knew about which was followed by the news when we arrived that Roz, the partner of Chris (the owner) had died after a long illness. It was a question of "the show must go on" ... and we all had one heck of a good meal (for info .. I had seared duck livers with wild mushrooms, bacon and marsala sauce; tagliatelle with oxtail and cardoncelli mushrooms; breast of grouse with red cabbage and ruby port sauce; finishing with chocolate fondant with white chocolate ice cream).
It was a true gourmet experience ... it may well have been the first night that the place had re-opened after a trying couple of weeks - we will return. hopefully under happier circumstances. Thoughts are with Farhad and Chris ...
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... sadly not a bloody plasterer ... no, 'twas Wobbles the Pygmy Hedgehog who came around with owner Shaz - who like our small boy finally got their results from Kirklees College today - PASS !!
Might "just" keep an eye on football tonight via the good ol' BBC website (being as how it's all on Murdoch-Telly tonight ...) - but then again I might not ...
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... or substitute "unreliable" for the "c" word if you like ... all the gear - top end mobile phones - but unable to organise a p*ss up in a brewery never mind their working week (often seems to have something to do with the "night before"). Meanwhile house still a bombsite - small boy kipping in front room ... bags of plaster sat forlornly waiting for a bloody plasterer ...
I could go on - dammit I WILL go on - got home from work to find note from Mrs Smiffy - "Gone for a sulk around Dovestones" - don't blame her ... not a brilliant day at work for me either. I was under the impression that the Royal British Legion was a registered charity ... if so why the hell are they doing a mail-out to all addresses which consists of an envelope containing a small wooden cross ... 10 'slippery' envelopes = 8" thick - today I had to do over 220 of 'em ... as well as the normal "it's Wednesday so all the weekend EBay ordered stuff kicks in as regards loads of packets" - so bags were chokka. That's NOT what I believe a charity such as RBL should be doing - no qualms with the motives - but either they're "better off" than most charities ... or they're going to have to sell a helluva lot of poppies to cover the cost.
Rant over ... time to cook tea - p.s. if anyone knows a good RELIABLE plasterer in the Mossley area - let me know (although the one we have - or don't have at the moment - came from a recommendation as well !!).
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... mentioned a bit in an earlier thread - but I can only re-iterate that it was an enthralling game with the home team taking the lead, being reduced to 10 men, and then falling behind twice before snatching an equaliser in the last minute of extra-time. Penalties once again at the Tameside Stadium - and once again Curzon 'keeper Josh Ollerenshaw was the hero with two saves to see Curzon progress 4-3 and secure a home tie against Worksop Town on the 29th September. Pictures at
Curzon Ashton 3 Goole 3 AET (Curzon win 4-3 on penalties)
That'll do for football this week - although I must admit ... while typing this I've got itv.com open on a different tab and every time the commentator gets "excited" I flick over to see how Man City are doing - seem to be a bit under the cosh at the moment !!
(plus fingers crossed for Stafford Rangers against FC United tonight - the "Cover It Live" stream ain't working apparently ...) ... and Man City have JUST taken the lead !!
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COWARD
(and those who are keeping up with the world will understand).
There will be a return to football later (as in stuff from last night's game) after I've done tea - but I guess all those couch potatoes who couldn't make it to Curzon last night will be sat on their *rses again tonight watching Euro-stuff (OK Man City) either in pub or house. Whatever ...
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... cast your minds back to the end of August - Curzon Ashton beat Northwich Vics on penalties in an FA Cup replay - thanks to a couple of excellent saves from Josh Ollerenshaw (oh all right - see here !) ...
... roll forward to tonight - different cup (i.e. FA Trophy), different opposition (i.e. Goole AFC) - but same outcome ...
It's well after midnight ... so I can only offer up the two penalty saves for now ... as in ...
and ...
... suffice to (quickly) say ...it was a helluva game with Curzon down to 10 men from part way through the first half ... and getting an equaliser to make it 3-3 in the 120th minute ...
Before I go to bed I must say I was astonished/disgusted at the p*ss poor attendance tonight (officially 106) - with it being the only game in the area this week as well. I saw a few of the Mossley contingent there this evening but I can only assume that the fans of other clubs in the area are too set in their ways to make the effort to "try something else" - well you missed six goals, ten penalties, a good soaking towards the end of the second half - and all for the princely sum of £7-50 - I'd love to know what was on the TV that was that good - because 99% of TV these days is cr*p - and you know it.
I'll sort some more pictures out tomorrow - but you missed a cracker ... trust me !
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... if you're a Histon fan ... my bunch from today ...
Stalybridge 2 Histon 1 - Histon Pix
Obvious reason for the "quick turnaround" is press deadlines - sounds cute doesn't it !!! This lot has been swiftly sent down to the Cambridge News for perusal - and hopefully inclusion in their Monday "Sports Edition" - well some of them maybe !! Hopefully they know the players - OK I got a team sheet - but numbers on shorts should be mandatory !!
More later - including the 89th minute winner from Jack Laird !!!
UPDATE - OK - so later meant Sunday morning - just (although the link's been on the Stalybridge website since 0200hrs this morning !!). Just been "blitzing the house" - first taking the recysling to the "dump" ... also we're having a lot of plastering and re-plastering done which has involved emptying rooms, stripping walls (and bits of walls falling off etc - 'tis an old house !) and there's been bits of wallpaper being trampled all over the place - even had to take the Dyson apart this morning ! Still - it's liveable-inable for a while now. Anyway - I'm rambling - there are a few duplicates with the above (Histon) set but - hey ...
Stalybridge Celtic 2 Histon 1 - Rest of Pix
Next job(s) - shopping for food, checking out carpets and buying a new toilet seat (wow !!). We had ummed and aahed about going to the Ramsbottom Folk Festival today (because Set Lakeman is on) - but the weather forecast is not brilliant for afternoon/evening - and as it's an outdoor bash at Rammy Cricket Club, it might turn into a mudfest later !
Note once again that the Mossley v Curzon Ashton local derby set for Tuesday night is off yet again thanks to a Cup Replay for Curzon (they drew 1-1 at Goole yesterday) The FA Trophy games yesterday gave Mossley a chance to go top of the league - which they took with a 2-1 win at Prescot Cables. I rather stupidly tweeted "top of the league - first time this century ??" - before being reminded that they won the league in 2006 ... it just seems SO much longer ago than that !! Defeats for Hyde (2-3 at Lincoln) and Droylsden (1-2 at Worcester) and a 1-1 home draw for Ashton United against Grantham Town completes the "Six Tame Sides" set for yesterday (hope the "Snapper Competition" went well at Hurst Cross - looking forward to seeing the pix !).
Football for the week appears to be the Curzon/Goole replay tomorrow night (can't see anything else in the "Non League Paper" fixture list - in fact even this replay isn't there !).
Let's go do stuff ...
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... and the weekend starts here ... for some anyway !
The upside is someone else is cooking tea - still got to go to work at 0630hrs tomorrow though. Football tomorrow is back up at Stalybridge for their game against Histon - last season I "got asked" by the "Cambridge News" to do a few photos of the game - and they did me proud in their Monday night Sports Supplement (I have a copy of the paper in my 'portfolio' !!) - so it's same again this season - last season's game was in November (pix here) - so hopefully this season ... a bit more light (!). All a bit of a kerfuffle as they want the pix Saturday evening (not quite as bad as the "Non League Paper" who need 'em before 1830hrs on a Saturday ... when I'm still having a post-match beer - one reason why I've never made the "NLP" - apart from the fact I've never been asked !!!)
Still - fingers crossed for a sensible finish at work - and some half-decent weather - and a Mossley win at Prescot Cables (hopefully still smarting from their defeat by Ashton United last weekend in the FA Cup). Ashton United are at home to Grantham Town tomorrow - and are holding their 2nd "SnapperFest" - if anyone fancies their chances check out the details here - I reckon it's quite unique as a day out - certainly don;t know of any other club who runs a similar event - all power to Jez for organising same !!
Other games tomorrow - Hyde FC are away at Lincoln - a bit of an early season "six pointer" this one as the Imps are just one place above the Tigers "down there" - fingers crossed that the impets from last week's 5-2 defeat of Hereford United continues ... Droylsden head down to 4th placed Worcester City - having released popular 'keeper Paul Phillips this week ... it'll be a tough one. Finally the FA Trophy begins tomorrow and Curzon Ashton are away at Goole AFC (hopefully still smarting from their defeat by Mossley last Saturday !!).
Plenty of football out there then - so get off your butts and out of the pubs (showing dodgy Premiership rubbish) - and support one of the local teams ... they need your money far more than those fat cats up at the top ...
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... and I've put the "XI" in apostrophes because I believe there's something about using the phrase "XI" where Man U are concerned - honest !!
A comfy day at work meant I had time to prepare some tea for the troops (an "experimental effort" involving leeks, peppers and bacon in a white wine sauce, mixed in with par-boiled cauliflower topped with cheese and very thinly sliced potatoes and slung in the oven - seemed to work - possibly over-complex on the tastes - but it all got eaten !!) and trundle down to Stalybridge at my leisure. Even had time for a quick snifter at the Buffet Bar to see old friends etc.
The game - to be honest I was expecting a glorified training session, but the 1000+ crowd was treated to a very even game. United were first out of the blocks, taking an early lead through Machedo. However Celtic were certainly not overawed and grabbed an equaliser 10 minutes later when Austin latched on to a long ball and put it away. The second half saw chances at both ends, but Celtic took the lead through Sherriff (strangely enough from another "long ball" - got these Reds sussed !!!). United should have equalised right at the death - but they didn't (!). P.S. It got bloomin' cold as the evening went on - time to start putting things in bag I reckon. All in all - a much better option than "couch potatoing" whilst watching England "B" struggle against Ukraine (I've put the "B" in apostrophes because I believe there's something about using the phrase "B" when talking about the national squad involved in a World Cup game). Some pictures from the evening at
Stalybridge Celtic 2 Manchester United 1
Certainly paid for that "comfy day" today - it was yuk !!! Rain rain rain all day long - only stopped when I finished - too late by then ... not just soaked to the skin more to the core. Looks a little better for the rest of the week mind (as in "no rain" !) - just hope everything dries out before 0630hrs tomorrow morning.
Nice to see Belper Town putting one over their more illustrious (as in higher league) opponents Matlock Town in the FA Cup Replay last night- they now get a crack at Ilkeston Town in a couple of weeks - certainly a game I would fancy if at all possible - y'never know (especially as I believe Mrs Smiffy needs to be in Belper on the 22nd September).
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Ashton United v Marine
Curzon Ashton v Bradford Park Avenue
Ossett Town/Whitby Town v Droylsden
Stalybridge Celtic v Vauxhall Motors
Some very interesting ties there ...
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... back from Rochdale after a night of eating and drinking and a Sunday of walking around Rishworth Moor (we looked down on a huge traffic jam on the M62 - we could just see a vehicle on fire and the fire engine dashing up the hard shoulder - yep it was quicker to walk this afternoon !!). Would you believe the camera never came out of the bag all day today !!
As predicted - a late work finish gave me only one option - up the road to Mossley ... who started slowly and were caught cold after just 5 minutes when the defence went AWOL. Credit the team though who finally got into gear and by half-time were 2-1 following a Ben Richardson "poke" and a truly wonderful overhead kick from Sam Madeley - unfortunately I missed the "mid air bicycle" although I should have known better - check out this one I caught from April 2011 when he was at Ashton United ...
Still - 2-1 up at half-time ... second half was a little quieter ... well it was a warm day !! A few chances at both ends, but Mossley were good value for the win in the end - which takes them up to the dizzy heights of second in the league. Some pictures from yesterday at
Mossley 2 Goole 1
Mentioned the two Ashton teams yesterday on my quick "in house then out again" post ... pleased to see Hyde FC finally get off the mark winning-wise - and in some style as well win a 5-2 drubbing of Hereford United - Stalybridge succumbed to a last minute winner to lose 4-3 at Gloucester while Droylsden are still struggling ... losing 4-2 to Solihull Moors.
Finding football this week will be interesting - as little has been arranged because to the FA replay possibilities ... Stalybridge do have a friendly on Tuesday against a Manchester United "team" - no idea what they'll send up - otherwise I'm looking "outside the zone" ...
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.. after a 2-1 win today against Goole.
Meanwhile Ashton score 11 (eleven) - OK Curzon get 8 and United get 3 ... but you know what I mean ...
... this is a quickie while my pix upload - as soon as that's done - I'm outta here - off to Rochdale ...
More tomorrow ...
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... thought last week was bad what with Bank Holiday and stuff - but it's been little different this week as well - in fact today I got dragged in an hour early due to sheer volume of mail and packets (remember of course the "official RM line" is "Mail volumes are down" - not on my shift they're not !!) Saga Holidays are one of the prime culprits - they're certainly making sure that the younger posties of today will never get around to taking advantage of Saga - huge thick brochures that weigh a lot !! Daft thing is ... I'm eligible for Saga as well - but there's NO WAY I'd sign up - don't want to upset my postie !!
Other damage this week - bitten by a ... CAT !! You know the sort - playful one minute then straight for the jugular (OK left hand) - not unlike our old dearly departed Tissy who was just the bloody same. Also this week I've been threatened ... see below ...
Scary eh ??? NOT ! For a start I'd hear 'em coming (all those bells etc) - and what would they hit me with ?? Multiple handkerchiefs ??? Any more of this and I'll set fire to their rushcart - with the chap on top (tee hee !!).
Enough non-football gubbins ... a quick "WELL DONE" to Maxine at Curzon Ashton - she's had one of her footy photos published in this week's "Tameside Reporter" (and credited as "Official Curzon Ashton Photographer" as well !!).
Tomorrow ... hmmm ... back to the usual proviso which involves "what time will I finish ???". Four options - Hyde FC at home to Hereford, Mossley at home to Goole in the league; Curzon Ashton in the FA Cup at home to Maltby Main (probably miss this one out considering they've got an "official" photographer !!); and Droylsden at home to Solihull Moors in the Conference North. I'd dearly like to head down to the Butchers Arms as Droylsden are the only one of the "Six Tame Sides" I've yet to see this season - and I reckon they'll win tomorrow and get out of the bottom three. But time of course is the final factor - plus me and Mrs Smiffy are out in the evening (off to Rochdale) - and tomorrow it's going to be a scorcher - allegedly (according to BBC Weather - the postman's friend !!). P.S. best of luck to Belper Town tomorrow in their FA Cup "derby" away at Matlock Town - and also hopefully Stafford Rangers can break a habit of a lifetime (OK the last few years) by avoiding FA Cup defeat at a lesser league team ... this year's "pitfall" is Stourport Swifts ...
Now ... "can I be bovvered" to watch anything of the Moldova game tonight ??? Being on ITV I can probably stick it on the laptop in the background I guess ... getting towards teatime now so ....
(1830hrs update) - Tea in 5 apparently - so time for one more silly ... remember we went walking up on the Cleveland Way a few weeks back ?? Involved a couple of days in Whitby ?? Well we took advantage of the Co-op there (probably for alcohol - can't really remember !!) and must have used loyalty card as well. So - today we get a letter from the Co-op containing three £5 off vouchers - for the Co-op in Whitby - not much use I'm afraid ...
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... now up at
Mossley 2 Clitheroe 3
Forget the result - and enjoy ...
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... Mossley lose 3-2 ... and were damned unlucky I feel. A first half that had everyone thinking "This is SOOO good" - should have been more than 1-0 at half-time - then it all went Pete Tong. However I'm sure that the Clitheroe equaliser should not have been. It came from a Mossley free-kick which was blocked by a defender, Where I was standing the ref started to raise his hand to blow because I'm sure the defender was NOT 10 yards away. However that's as far as the ref's hand went because the block was followed by a breakaway by Clitheroe which led to the equaliser. However that's my view on that. Some sloppiness - and then it was 3-1 to the visitors. Credit to Mossley though - they came back with a vengeance but were unable to get it back to level terms ... BUGGER. Still - can't knock Clitheroe .. they look a useful side (and it was nice to see Royf in the pub pre-match - and then Chris "Lions Den" on the terraces - always been a good crack 'twixt Mossley and Clitheroe over the years - long may it continue !!!).
No time to go through all the pix tonight - I've got to get up at stupid-o'clock tomorrow to get to the Builders Warehouse at opening time (i.e.0630hrs) to get some more bags of plaster for our "plasterman" - and then head off to work afterwards. However here's one that "jumped out at me" after I'd taken it (you always get that feeling) - Benji Richardson "getting involved ...
Promise some more tomorrow - I feel I'm starting to get comfy with the new lens - dropping the shutter speed down as low as 1/320 second - and getting results.
Bear with me ...
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A story requiring more publicity ... Stalybridge Celtic (or should I say the fans) are at the moment trying to get it together to raise cash for a new Social Club - because basically the present "portakabin" is just not up to it (OK it's an improvement on the old railway carriage but...). So ... a fund raising scheme (the Hail Ale Fund) has begun (check out this thread).
However here's the 'real story' - a cut and paste from the same Message Board ...
"The Stalybridge Celtic North America supporters association (I think
that's just me). Raised 20 UKP today in Birmingham Alabama for the Hail
Ale fund. We hosted a lemonade stand on the street and made a few
dollars. Photos available for the Celtic program and donation coming via
the website in pounds. Go Celtic. See you at Xmas. Kids had a blast and
raised some dosh. Americans totally into it - Olympics and all.
We're visiting Alabama and off back to Orlando tomoz. Let's see how
lemonade sells next to Disneyworld I'm guessing not so well.
Glen"
What ALL clubs need ...
... follows on a bit from yesterday's trip to Stalybridge - timings meant I had to get the bus ...
TRAIN - Mossley - Stalybridge - takes 5 minutes - £1-40 single (Northern Rail)
BUS - Mossley - Stalybridge - takes 14 minutes - £3-10 single (First Bus)
... and they're giving the West Coast train franchise to First Group - expect the worst !!
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... some pictures for now - well it IS after two in the morning !!!
Stalybridge Celtic 4 Hinckley United 0
Will try for more words later today ..
SUNDAY MORNING (sensible morning !) UPDATE ...
The "Bank Holiday Packet Backlash" continued on Saturday morning - ended up finishing work really late so it was a mad dash over to Stalybridge and a brisk-ish walk up the Mottram Road to get to Celtic 'almost' on time ... unfortunately missing the teams coming out and the chance to take photos of the Celtic "Mascot for the Day" (sorry Andy - hope you managed to get something !!). The game; a pretty comprehensive win for the home side - 3-0 up at half-time and it could have been more I reckon had Adam Pepper not gone off injured minutes after scoring the second goal - he was a constant thorn in the side of the Hinckley defence. Second half was a bit flat (job already done to be honest), but there was a fourth goal and chances for more as well. Looked like that win at Colwyn Bay last Monday had instilled the necessary confidence in the home team - moved it around pretty well - still a little too much of the long ball up to the diminutive Sherriff (worked hard for little or no reward - his time will come).
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The win moves Celtic up to seventh ... with three teams (Guiseley, Brackley and Chester FC) still boasting 100% records after five games - in fact Brackley continued their unbeaten run with a 3-2 defeat of Droylsden. In the Conference Premier Hyde FC are still searching for their first win after going down 3-1 at Forest Green Rovers - Ryan Crowther scoring his first for the Tigers on his "loan return" from Fleetwood Town.
In Evo-Stik land, Ashton United lost their 100% record - but remain unbeaten after a 1-1 draw at Frickley Athletic, and "down one division", Mossley made it three wins out of three after a 4-0 away win at Farsley (who many have tipped to do well this season - so it must have been a good 'un !) Curzon Ashton also scored four (including a Kris Dennis hat-trick) in their 4-1 demolition of Lancaster City (who many have tipped to do well this season - so it must have been a good 'un !).
That'll do for now - things to do include recycling, Asda ... and buying a "Non League Paper" (not necessarilly in that order but ...)
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