BATTLING hard to retain their title Cammell Laird completed a 2-0 home victory over General Chemicals. The win which moves Lairds up to 3rd place was completed thanks to strikes by Ken Burgess and Alan McDonald. Despite taking the lead through Dave Carrington, Mersey Royal had to settle for a 1-1 draw when entertaining Heswall. Chris Adamson equalised within a minute for a Heswall side recording their 12th draw of the campaign. Table toppers Poulton Vics edged a 7 goal thriller at Newton. Ken Berry, Simon Lewis and Gary Reay-2, did the damage for Vics while Steve Platt, Gary Williams and Mark Dagnall struck for battling Newton. In mid-week Peter McNay, Gary Reay, Andy Robinson, Alan Goodall and player manager Chris Camden had all been on target as Vics disposed of bottom club Blacon YC (Dave Maund, Craig Wainwright) by a 5-2 margin. Ashville's normally sound defence weren't able to cope with a Stork outfit who registered a 4-1 success thanks to Ian Dunroe-2, Alan Cline and Mike Smith.

Cammell Laird Reserves posted an excellent semi final win in the Wirral Amateur cup as they overcame Ashville Reserves 2-0.

Goals by Jimmy Kelly and Joe Kearns secured them a cup final meeting with unbeaten South Wirral League side Charing Cross who netted twice after the break to defeat Shaftesbury 2-0.

In Division 2 substitute Duncan Van Marle hit a 25 minute hat-trick as New Brighton (Gary Hardman-2, John Sanderson) brushed aside hosts Poulton Vics Reserves with a 6-0 success. Stork Reserves proved to be no match for promotion chasers Castrol Social who had John Merryl-2, Peter Ryder, John Farrell and John Mills finding the mark in a 5-0 home win. Tony Ward, Ray Campbell and Owen Davies were on the scoresheet as Heswall Reserves overcame Shell Reserves 3-0 but there was less joy for Mersey Royal Reserves who suffered a 4-0 reversal at Christleton Reserves (Ian Fenlon-2, Mick Tolland, Nick Parry). Despite a Matty Fennell strike West Kirby went down to their 8th league defeat of the campaign with Capenhurst Reserves emerging as 3-1 victors thanks to Colin Mangen, Chris Lee and Neil Walmsley.

Shock result of the day saw Division 3 Manor Athletic defeat visiting MANWEB 2-0 courtesy of Mike McClaughlan and Andy Denton. Mallaby made it 19 goals in 2 outings as Stan Dobbs, Alex Pino and Colin Moffatt all recorded doubles in their 10-0 drubbing of Castrol Social Reserves. Willaston (Mark Humphries, John Reynolds) threw away a 2 goal advantage before losing out 5-2 to Mond Rangers Reserves and West Kirby Reserves won by the odd goal in 7 at New Brighton Reserves.

RESULTS:-

Saturday, February 26:-

Division One - Cammell Laird 2, General Chemicals 0; Capenhurst 2, Vauxhall Motors 0; Mersey Royal 1, Heswall 1; Newton 3, Poulton Victoria 4; Shell 3, Merseyside Police 0; Stork 4, Ashville 1.

Division Two - Aintree Villa 2, Upton AA 2; Castrol Social 5, Stork Res 0; Christleton Res 4, Mersey Royal Res 0; Heswall Res 3, Shell Res 0; Poulton Vics Res 0, New Brighton 6; West Kirby 1, Capenhurst Res 3.

Division Three - Castrol Social Res 0, Mallaby 10; Maghull Res 5, Newton Res 1; Manor Ath 2, Manweb 0; Moreton Res 1, St Werburgh's 2; New Brighton Res 3, West Kirby Res 4; Upton Res 2, Aintree Villa Res 3; Willaston 2, Mond Rangers Res 5.

Chester FA Senior Cup (3rd Rd) - Blacon Social 1, Christleton 7.

Chester FA Challenge Cup (3rd Rd) - St Werburgh's Res 1, Blacon YC 4.

Runcorn Senior Cup (Semi Finals) - BICC Helsby 4, Mond Rangers Res 0; Pavilions 3, Greenalls 2.

Wirral Amateur Cup (Semi Finals) Ashville Res 0, Cammell Laird Res 2; Shaftesbury 0, Charing Cross 2.

FIXTURES:-

Tuesday, February 12 (kick-off 7pm):

West Cheshire Shield (Semi Final, at Ashville FC) - Mallaby v Manweb.

Wednesday, March 1 (kick-off 7.30pm):

Cheshire FA Amateur Cup (Semi Final, at Runcorn FC) - BICC Helsby v Christleton.

Saturday, March 4 (kick-off 3pm, unless otherwise stated):

Division One - Ashville v Newton; Cammell Laird v Blacon YC; Capenhurst v Shell; Christleton v Mond Rangers; General Chemicals v Poulton Victoria; Merseyside Police v Heswall; Stork v Maghull; Vauxhall Motors v Mersey Royal.

Division Two - Aintree Villa v Mersey Royal Res; BICC Helsby v Ashville Res; Castrol Social v Christleton Res; Heswall Res v Poulton Vics Res; Shell Res v Moreton; Upton AA v Stork Res; West Kirby v Cammell Laird Res.

Division Three - Castrol Social Res v Mond Rangers (at Mond Rgrs); Maghull Res v West Kirby Res; Newton Res v Manor Ath; Moreton Res v Mallaby; New Brighton Res v Willaston; Pavilions v Shaftesbury; St Werburgh's v Manweb.

Tuesday, March 7 (kick-off 7.30pm):

Cheshire FA Amateur Cup (Semi Final, at Northwich Victoria FC) - Barnton v Poulton Victoria.

Wednesday, March 8 (kick-off 7pm):

West Cheshire Shield (Semi Final, at Poulton Victoria FC) - New Brighton Res v Upton AA Res.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.