After focussing on cup competitions for the beginning of 2025, Atherton Colls Under 18s made a winning return to league action in the North West Youth Alliance on Sunday, dispatching St Helens Town with a comfortable 3-0 victory at Ruskin Drive.
It was truthfully a game of many missed opportunities for the Young Stripes, who created 33 goalscoring chances throughout the game, but couldn’t find a consistent finishing touch.
Maniu Mohammed opened the scoring with an early goal, converting at the far post after a Harry Brisco cross was flicked on by Liam Sheppard.
Sheppard was next to notch, looping a header home from the edge of the box from a Harry Brown corner, for his 46th competitive youth team goal of the season.
Harry Brisco prematurely ended the goalscoring after half-an-hour of play, driving a long range effort into the bottom corner.
Credit must again go to the Black & Whites backline of James Wharton, Leon Tennant, Sam Robinson, Harry Brisco and Eddie Clitherow, who collected their first consecutive clean-sheets of the season.
On Saturday, talisman Liam Sheppard notched his third goal in two games since returning to Daisy Hill on dual-registration, whilst Harry Stephens made his NWCFL debut for Ashton Athletic. At Step 7, Archie O’Neill’s Moorside Rangers picked up a fourth win on the bounce in the Manchester Premier Division.
The Young Stripes return to Lancashire Cup action next week with a trip to face AFC Fylde U17s on Sunday morning, playing for the chance to reach their first cup final of a potential four this season, with another semi-final in the President’s Cup upcoming, alongside quarter finals in the Open Cup and Wigan Cup.
