Watson gutted by defeat
WEST End Park continue their impressive start in the first division as they extended their perfect winning record to four wins without loss in the Master Lock & Safe Southport and District Badminton League.
Their comfortable 7-1 win over strugglers Victoria Hall II keeps them ahead of a hungry chasing pack that West End Park will be facing in the next couple of weeks.
Leading the charge is defending champions Mawdesley, who put their mark down and proved to everyone why they remain to be the best team in the league.
They took down title contenders Churchtown 6-2 in a performance that will surely make it only a matter of time before they topple West End Park off their perch.
Not far behind them are Woodvale, they quickly saw off their own second team in white-wash fashion 8-0.
Meanwhile in the bottom half of the table, Churchtown II produced a strong result in their 7-1 win over Southport. That result has moved them to sixth place in the table.
In the second division, Ormskirk and Tarleton’s first teams continue to pull away from the chasing pack as they both maintain their 100% records.
While Tarleton brushed aside bottom team West End Park II 7-1, Ormskirk were forced to battle hard in their thrilling 5-3 win against a Southport II side who have yet to record a win.
Those results mean that Ormskirk and Tarleton’s clash next week will see at least one team’s perfect record disappear.
Meanwhile, Hesketh Bank produced an impressive display to topple Mawdesley’s second team 5-3 and put themselves firmly in the top half of the table. Keeping pace with them are Burscough Pioneers as they saw off Woodvale’s third team 6-2.
Sadly for Southport III, they suffered a tough 5-3 loss to Formby, who themselves recorded their first win of the season to move out of the relegation zone.
Division three continues to be all about Crosby, as their first team made quick work of winless Tarleton III as their 7-1 win maintains their three-point gap from their nearest challengers.
That title goes to Tarleton II, who continue their strong unbeaten start to the season after recording a 6-2 win over Southsands II.
In a division where draws look to be quite common, securing three points looks to be more important than ever.
Making the most of their opportunities were Burscough Pioneers II and Ormskirk II.
They both collected vital 5-3 wins over Woodvale IV and St. Cuthberts respectively.
Southport IV sent a further message to the rest of their rivals, as their 6-2 win over bottom half side Formby II sees them ruling the fourth division roost for a further week.
There was a Woodvale contest. Prevailing in the end was their fifth team who ousted their sixth team 7-1 and move into third place.
At the opposite end of the table, the woes continue for St. Cuthberts II and West End Park III.
Their defeats to Ormskirk III and Southsands III keeps them winless for the season.
Division five remains to be the most competitive division in the league. With every team on the board with at least a point and no perfect winning records to be seen, you would naturally expect a few shock results along the way. Sadly this week, it all went to form.
Wins for four of the top five further extends a gap between the top and bottom halves.
St. Cuthberts III maintain their twopoint gap over second place side Tarleton IV despite both sides recording perfect 8-0 wins against Ormskirk IV and Southport VI respectively, who both remain winless.
Behind Tarleton only on set different are both Burscough Pioneers III and Woodvale VII, who clashed this week.
Taking the share of the spoils were Burscough, who produced an impressive performance to defeat Woodvale 7-1.
Also coming out as winners this week were Southport V, as they defeat Formby Methodist 6-2.
It was a successful week for Hesketh Bank II, who recorded their first win of the season as they secured a 6-2 win over Mawdesley V.
Meanwhile in the sixth division, the clash of the top two is almost upon us as Churchtown’s 6-2 win over Southsands IV sees both sides perfect starts to the season at stake.
With Crosby on a rest week, Churchtown’s win saw them take sole control of the division.
With both sides already creating a comfortable gap from the chasing pack, the sixth division could be the first to be settled for both promotion and relegation.
At the bottom end, it is a fourth straight loss for both St. Cuthberts IV and Southport VIII.
They both suffered 7-1 defeats at the hands of mid-table sides Southport VII and Hesketh Bank III respectively.
Elsewhere, Woodvale VIII grow from strength to strength as their 6-2 win at Burscough Pioneers IV gives them their second win of the campaign.
In the league’s seventh division, it was smiles all-round for Formby III and Southsands V.
While Formby cruised to an 8-0 win over bottom side West End Park IV, it was a much tighter affair for Southsands V. They were made to work hard in their 5-3 win over Woodvale IX.
For more info as well as the latest news, results and league tables, be sure to check out the league’s official website, www.southportbadminton.com. Also, make sure you like the league’s official Facebook page. LIAM Watson admitted he was ‘devastated’ with the home defeat to York City last weekend - but praised the performance of his team.
Southport are just one point from the bottom of the National League North table after suffering seven defeats in their opening 12 games.
Dion Charles gave the Sandgrounders an early lead on Non-League Day - an event that resulted in more than 1,000 fans attending the clash at Haig Avenue - before second-half strikes from Jordan Burrow and Simon Heslop handed the visitors all three points.
“I’m devastated with the outcome,” Watson said after the defeat. “The simple fact is that’s probably the best we’ve played all season.
“We should come in three or four nil up and we came in one up. That’s down to us, nothing else.
“I think we dominated them start to finish and the chances we missed at the end were laughable. Dion should have came away with a hat-trick in the first-half.
“But performance wise, I couldn’t ask for much more. I thought we opened them up time and time again down the sides, getting in behind them, everything.
“You couldn’t ask for much more in terms of the performance but the one issue is if you don’t stop a cross from a throw in - which is poor - and it ends up going in, that’s the kick in the teeth.”
Watson is aiming to guide his team into the FA Cup first round proper this weekend as they welcome Ashton United to the Merseyrail Community Stadium.
Southport haven’t won at home since February but the manager - who replaced Kevin Davies during the summer believes his side must be more clinical in front of goal.
“That’s where we are at the minute”, he assessed of the season so far.
“We’ve got no one to blame.
“The performance dictates how you are. We won in the FA Cup at Curzon last weekend but [Saturday] I thought we were miles better as a football team.”