As we head towards Christmas, the Northern Premier League West division is starting to take shape with Liverpool side Lower Breck in the driving seat.
Lower Breck have 42 points with Avro on 40 in second, but many teams are hot on their trail such as Runcorn Linnets.
When asked which team has gone above and beyond so far this season, journalist Andrew Simpson believes it has been ‘‘impossible to choose.’’
He said: ‘‘Several teams are exceeding expectation, led of course by season-long leaders Lower Breck.
“Runcorn Linnets deserve a mention as well. They’re the most complete team I have seen so far, and are recovering well from a disappointing mid-table finish last season.’’
Runcorn sit just inside the play-offs, but should they win their two games in hand on leaders Lower Breck, they would be just a point off of the summit.
Simpson also thinks the Merseyside and Cheshire clubs will be enjoying facing Bury.
After their expulsion from the EFL in 2019, the club have since worked from their ashes and are beginning to climb the pyramid.
Having regained possession of Gigg Lane, it has acted as a huge financial boost to have such a stadium in this division, as they average over 3,000 attendance figures.
Simpson said: “Clubs like Runcorn and Vauxhall Motors will enjoy playing teams like Bury, they will enjoy their biggest home crowd of the campaign when they host Bury and benefit from a one-off income boost associated with that.’’
As the season rolls into the second half, the fight for promotion couldn’t be tighter, according to Simpson.
‘‘It’s too close to call,” he said.
Simpson also singled out Runcorn as a side who can sneak into one of the automatic promotion spots, after winning their last three games, including a convincing 6-2 win vs Congleton Town.
He said: ‘‘As I mentioned, Runcorn are the best team I’ve seen and they can make a case that they’ve not been able to find their strongest starting XI for a run of games because of injuries to key players.’’
Unsurprisingly, many people’s favourite for promotion before a ball was kicked was Bury. However, since some managerial uncertainty, Simpson said: “All bets will be off.’’
Squad size is also a key thing going into the business end of the season, which is what Simpson believes will either make or break some teams’ season.
He said: ‘‘Teams like Avro and Lower Breck are running small squads so will need a bit of luck when it comes to injuries.’’
Runcorn have also recently signed James Steele from Prescot Cables, a player who won this division with Widnes last season, giving them the winning mentality that could haul them over the line this season.
And Simpson has been particularly impressed with a Runcorn player.
‘‘Harvey Washington of Runcorn has plenty of admirers this season, he’s been a standout for me so far,” he said.
With plenty more football still to be played in the Northern Premier League West, nothing is decided yet, and if the first half of the season is anything to go by, this could go to the wire.
