HOULIHAN'S Birkenhead Sunday League side Rock Ferry Social/Abbey beat Sale United 4-0 in the Cheshire County Challenge Cup first round. Glen Rooney, Andy Graham, Anthony Fry and Scott Taylor were on target.

In the Premier Division, Ship Inn sailed to a three point lead at the top with a 4-1 win over Hornby RBL, Danny Mulla, 2, Ian McMullen and Chris Moores scoring. Archers Social (Lee Crowther, 2, Fran Wiggins, 2, Mark Tabiner) moved into second spot with a 5-2 win over Woodchurch. In Division One, Pacific remain in pole position, following a resounding 5-2 win at Bebington RAFA, while Swan (Neil Parkinson, 3, Alan Buckley, 2) moved into second spot with a 5-2 victory over Christies.

Only game in Division Two saw runaway leaders Heygarth Utd defeat Wirral Villa 7-0, with the prolific Kevin Rhone firing another hat-trick, assisted by efforts from Sandro Pino, Chris Denton and Martin Jones.

RESULTS:

Sunday, October 3:-

Cheshire County Challenge Cup (1st Round) - Aswood Utd 0, Dock 4; Sale Utd 0, R/Ferry Soc/Abbey 4; Great Float 4, FC Greasby 2; Parkdale 3, Westbourne 2.

Houlihan's Memorial Challenge Cup (1st Round) - Mersey Blades 2, Shaftes 1896 9.

Premier Division - Archers Soc 5, Woodchurch 2; Ship Inn 4, Hornby RBL 1.

Division One - Beb RAFA 2, Pacific 5; Swan Htl 5, Christies 3.

Division Two - Heygarth Utd 7, Wirral Villa 0.

Division Three - Black Horse 0, Hamiltons 1; Civic Way 0, Club Octel 4.

Division Four - Parkdale Yth 1, St Mary's CC 3; Lord Napier 1, Vittoria Vaults 2; Wirral Libs 3, Young Lions 5.

Youth Division - Christleton Jnrs 2, Ashville 8; Shore Villa 2, Greenleas 3; Wirral 1, Fender 7.

FIXTURES:

Sunday, October 10:-

Cheshire County Challenge Cup (1st Round) - Queens Park v Man Royal.

Wirral District FA Amateur Cup (2nd Round) - Cavendish v Bowies; Club Octel v Poulton Vics Soc; Halfway Vets v Royal Oak; Heygarth v Farmers N/Ferry; Horizon v Ship; La Banque v S'bourne Evans; FC Merebrook v Black Horse; Neston v Tranmere Vics; Oxton Ath v Shell Swan; Princes Rvrs v Shaftes 1896.

Premier Division - Brow v Ship Inn; Parkdale v Hornby RBL; Shaftes v Dock Htl; R/Ferry Soc/Abbey v KEL; Woodchurch v Shaftes Snrs.

Division One - Christies v St Cecilias; FC Greasby v Swan Htl; Parkside v Holt Springs; Pacific v Rangers Breaks; St John's Celtic v Beb RAFA; Westbourne v 7 Stiles.

Division Two - Bromboro Htl v DW Fencing; Graylands Villa v Argyll; Wirral Villa v Houlihan's.

Division Three - Corsair Ath v Civic Way; New Southend v Upton Celtic; AFC Windmill v Hamiltons.

Division Four - Carlton Ath v Lord Napier; Mersey Blades v Wellington; Saughall v Parkdale Yth; St Mary's CC v Windsor Castle; Vittoria Vaults v Wirral Libs; Young Lions v Clipper.

Youth Division - Christleton v Shore Villa; Fender v Willaston; Ashville v Heswall/Heygarth; Shaftes v Wirral; Shell v Christleton Jnrs.

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