Hawkings 2 Walton Wanderers 6

Stephen Hawkings Football Boots (0)2 [Chris Elliott 2] Walton Wanderers (3)6

Squad – Craig Wilson, Iain Wilson, Richard Elliott, Chris Elliott, Stephen Woods, Andrew Dignan

Against the champions, and undoubtedly the best side in the league, Hawkings came close to getting a result. The first ten minutes were very even, with Hawkings just about shading it, but some quality finishes put Wanderers 2-0 ahead. As the game opened out, Wanderers had more chances, yet Hawkings were never far behind and could feel themselves unfortunate to be 0-3 behind at half time, especially after Iain Wilson hit the post. Both goalkeepers excelled, and Wanderers did hit both post and bar with excellent strikes.

Chris Elliott deservedly scored to put Hawkings on the score sheet, and the game stayed at 1-3 until the closing minutes, when Wanderers added a further two, Chris Elliott reduced the arrears again, and Wanderers scored with the final shot of the game. Craig Wilson excelled in goal, and with better luck in front of goal at the other end, Chris Elliott, Iain Wilson and Stephen Woods would have scored another half dozen goals between them.

Carpet Munchers 6 All Stars 10

Carpet Munchers FC (3)6 [Stephen Campbell 4, Iain Wilson 2] Allstars (5)10

Squad – Craig Wilson, Iain Wilson, Andrew Dignan, Stephen Campbell, Steve Davis, Rob Danson, Callam Faulds

The first game of a new season ended in a defeat against a side Munchers should have beaten. After a terrible start, when they fell 0-4 behind, Steve Campbell scored twice and Iain Wilson once to bring Munchers right back into the game, but the last goal of the half went to the opposition – there seemed little danger when a ball was played into the area, but it hit Rob Danson, despite his attempts to evade it, and a penalty was given as he was inside his own area.

Early in the second half, Rob Danson was involved in a shoving incident near the boards when one of the Allstars players grabbed him by the throat, and received a three-minute sinbinning as a result. In that time, Iain Wilson scored a fourth from a free kick, but Munchers failed to make more of their advantage. Slackness at the back cost a sixth goal, and a seventh was conceded from another penalty – Steve Davis, unaware of the rules, passed the ball straight back to Craig Wilson, who rolled the ball back to the edge of the area for the free kick, only for the referee to give the penalty for kicking the ball out. Steve Campbell drove in Munchers’ fifth, but defensively they went to pieces, conceding three goals in less than a minute and relying on Craig Wilson to make a great save after a misplaced pass to prevent an eleventh goal. Steve Campbell scored the final goal of the game, but it was a game Munchers really threw away.

Hawkings 11 Screaming Weasels 9

Stephen Hawkings Football Boots (6)11 [Stephen Woods 2, Chris Elliott 7, Iain Wilson 2] Screaming Weasels (3)9

Squad –Simon Eason, Iain Wilson, Richard Elliott, Chris Elliott, Stephen Woods, Andrew Dignan

This was a very different Weasels side to the one that Hawkings defeated two months ago, and Hawkings should have won the game by a much more comfortable margin. In the early stages, Andrew Dignan hit the post and Richard Elliott and Iain Wilson both brought fine saves out of the Weasels’ goalkeeper, but it was Weasels who took the lead with their first attempt on goal. Stephen Woods and Chris Elliott also came close to scoring before Stephen Woods equalised after Ric Elliot’s shot had been saved. Chris Elliott gave Hawkings the lead, before Simon Eason was brought into action with a series of fine saves. Weasels equalised at 2-2 but as the half wore on, Hawkings took control with some nice passing moves. Chris Elliott scored the third after receiving the ball from a Stephen Woods free kick, Iain Wilson scored twice and Chris Elliott added another with a shot from the halfway line that went right through the previously excellent Weasels ‘keeper, before Weasels ended the first half scoring.

After Stephen Woods hit the bar, Weasels scored again to make it 6-4. Weasels then hit the post, as did Ric Elliott moments later, and when Weasels hit the bar, Ric Elliott again responded by hitting the post. Weasels scored again to reduce Hawkings’ lead to one goal, but Stephen Woods restored the two goal lead with a deflected shot and Chris Elliott made it 8-5 and seemingly settled the game for Hawkings. Inexplicably, Hawkings took their eye off the game, and within moments an 8-5 lead became 8-8. Stephen Woods hit the post again before Chris Elliott scored his fifth goal of the night to make it 9-8. Once again, Weasels rallied to level the score at 9-9, but two more Chris Elliott goals in the final minute made the final score 11-9 in Hawkings’ favour.

Carpet Munchers 12 FC Kronenbourg 8

Carpet Munchers FC (8)12 [Stephen Woods 5, Iain Wilson 2, Dan Arciniega, Gaz Winter 3, Lee Hopkinson] FC Kronenbourgs (1)8

Squad – Craig Wilson, Iain Wilson, Daniel Arciniega, Andrew Dignan, Stephen Woods, Lee Hopkinson, Rob Danson, Gaz Winter

Munchers comfortably defeated old foes Kronenbourgs, who suffered from having no substitutes whereas Munchers had three allowing rotation throughout. Bizarrely, though, in the closing minutes it was Kronenbourgs who were finishing the stronger!

Stephen Woods opened the scoring, and Gaz Winter hit a blistering effort against the bar while Dan Arciniega brought a fine save from the ‘keeper before Stephen Woods made it 2-0. Iain Wilson added a third and Lee Hopkinson hit the bar, but the action wasn’t all at one end and Craig Wilson made several fine stops to keep Kronenbourgs off the score sheet. Dan Arciniega made it 4-0 with a shot that went in off the post, after his earlier shot and Gaz Winter’s follow-up had both missed narrowly, and Gaz Winter set up Stephen Woods for number five before finishing well himself to make the score 6-0. Iain Wilson scored his second of the evening before Kronenbourgs finally scored just before half time, but Stephen Woods added an eighth and Andrew Dignan hit the post following good footwork by Iain Wilson to send Munchers in with an 8-1 half time lead.

Gaz Winter hit the post at the start of the second half, but followed up soon afterwards with the ninth goal. Kronenbourgs scored a second with a shot that took a deflection off Iain Wilson as he tried to block the effort, and shortly afterwards it was 9-3. Munchers fired numerous shots in, and Stephen Woods made it double figures, but Kronenbourgs didn’t give up and quickly made the score 10-5. Rob Danson and Dan Arciniega hit shots narrowly wide before Lee Hopkinson scored the eleventh, following up moments later by being the latest player to hit the bar. After Kronenbourg scored a sixth, Gaz Winter notched Munchers’ final goal, and two late Kronenbourg goals were just rewards for their efforts.

Hawkings 8 Inter Not a Lot 2

Stephen Hawkings Football Boots (3)8 [Stephen Woods 2 – 1 penalty, Chris Elliott 2, own goal, Andrew Dignan 2, Ric Elliott] Inter Not A Lot (1)2

Squad – Craig Wilson, Iain Wilson, Richard Elliott, Chris Elliott, Stephen Woods, Andrew Dignan

This was Hawkings easiest win in years, the only surprise being that they only scored eight times. After missing several early chances, they actually fell 1-0 behind, but that was the only attempt on goal that Inter had in the first half. Stephen Woods soon equalised, Chris Elliott scored a second and an own goal when a defender tried to cut out a Chris Elliott pass saw Hawkings 3-1 ahead at the break.

Andrew Dignan made it 4-1 when he finished from Iain Wilson’s pass, and Chris Elliott made it 5-1. Craig Wilson had to make his first save of the game before Inter poked a second goal home, but goals from Ric Elliott, Andrew Dignan and a penalty from Stephen Woods completed the scoring. Each of the Hawkings outfield players could have scored half a dozen goals, with Andrew Dignan hitting the bar, Ric Elliott hitting the post, and the Inter ‘keeper somehow keeping numerous efforts out.

Carpet Munchers 8 Cushdy United 8

Carpet Munchers FC (6)8 [Lee Hopkinson 3, Stephen Woods, Rob Danson 3, Iain Wilson] Cushdy United (4)8

Squad – Craig Wilson, Iain Wilson, Andrew Dignan, Stephen Woods, Lee Hopkinson, Rob Danson

Against a new side to the league, Munchers participated in an excellent game that ended in the fair result of an 8-8 draw. Cushdy were a very accomplished side, but with no substitutes and no real goalkeeper, Munchers were always going to be in this game. After Andrew Dignan hit the bar, Lee Hopkinson gave them the lead with a blistering shot that went in off the underside of the bar. Stephen Woods restored the lead, but 2-1 soon became 2-3. Lee Hopkinson added two more goals to put Munchers ahead again, and Rob Danson added a couple to stretch the lead to 6-3. Just before half time, Cushdy reduced the deficit to make it 6-4 at the break.

Early in the second half, Cushdy hit the angle of post and bar, then the post, only for Rob Danson to make it 7-4 after some strong work by Lee Hopkinson. Cushdy hit the post again before reducing the arrears, and another goal made it 7-6. At this point, only some excellent goalkeeping by Craig Wilson was keeping Munchers ahead, and although Iain Wilson scored an eighth after Andrew Dignan hit the post, all of the action was at the other end and Cushdy soon levelled the match at 8-8. The closing minutes saw chances at either end, but more good goalkeeping and strong defence by both sides meant the game finished in a draw.

Hawkings 10 Wythenshaw Wanderers 5

Stephen Hawkings Football Boots (4)10 [Iain Wilson 2, Chris Elliott 3, Ric Elliott 3, Andrew Dignan, Stephen Woods] Wythenshaw Wanderers (2)5

Squad – Simon Eason, Iain Wilson, Richard Elliott, Stephen Woods, Andrew Dignan, Chris Elliott

Against a new side, who only had four players, Hawkings’ won more easily than the score suggests. Iain Wilson gave them an early lead, after having two previous efforts saved by the Wanderers’ ‘keeper, and although Wanderers equalised, Chris Elliott restored the lead almost immediately and Ric Elliott added a third. After Wanderers reduced the arrears, Ric scored again just before half time to give Hawkings a 4-2 interval lead. It would have been even more but for several fine saves by the various Wanderers goalkeepers.

Wanderers were the first to score in the second half, but Ric Elliott completed his hat trick and Andrew Dignan added a sixth goal. Wanderers were visibly tiring in the heat, and although they scored the next goal, they were finding it difficult to compete. In order to try and make the game more even, Andrew Dignan joined their team, to make it five against five. Initially, it made little difference, as Chris Elliott scored a further two goals, but Andrew set up Wanderers fifth goal with a pass inside and Wanderers began to have more of the play without being able to notch another goal. Iain Wilson scored number nine, and then passed inside for Stephen Woods to net number ten, and Ric Elliott almost made it eleven with the final shot of the game, the ball zipping across the goal line after hitting the inside of the post.