By Oliver Evans
Five wins, three trophies and just one defeat saw Wythenshawe complete an impressive pre-season with momentum firmly behind them ahead of the new Northern Premier League campaign.
Squires Gate 3-2 Wythenshawe – 4/7
Wythenshawe started their pre-season over a month ago with a trip to Blackpool to face step six Squires Gate. The home team took the lead inside eleven minutes before Aaron Dwyer continued last season’s goalscoring form equalising just after the half hour mark. Two more goals from Squires Gate gave them a 3-1 lead at half time. A Stevie Hewitt rocket clawed one back for the Ammies just after half time but an equaliser never came, starting pre-season with what would go on to be the only loss.
Cheadle Heath Nomads 1-2 Wythenshawe – 7/7
A trip south followed four days later with a visit to fellow step six outfit Cheadle Heath Nomads. Liam Cuthbert opened his Wythenshawe account after half an hour of Ammies dominance, flicking a ball from Trialist A over the keeper. Aaron Dwyer doubled Wythenshawe’s lead after 75 minutes, tapping home a flick from Joel Ankers from six yards out, albeit after missing a well saved penalty just minutes before. Forde’s clean sheet was wiped off five minutes later when Cheadle Heath got one back, but the sheer domination from the Ammies was a sign of things to come.
Wythenshawe Town 1-4 Wythenshawe – John Walker Trophy – 10/7
The week finished three days later as the Ammies took a trip across town for El Civico to face sworn rivals Wythenshawe Town for the John Walker Memorial Trophy, in homage to the former Ammies’ president. Town took the lead after ten minutes after a defensive error, rounding Ryan Forde for an easy goal. Wythenshawe were the better team after the hydration break but the Ammies were 1-0 down at the break. Kinsey’s half time team talk must have worked, however, as the boys came back out for the second half the much more dominant team. Carne equalised just before the hour mark after several missed attempts, opening the floodgates. Sheriff Njie met a Darius Palma cross to put us into the lead just three minutes later before scoring himself with ten minutes to go with a superb half volley from the edge of the area. Njie capped off the day securing his brace and a contract as he made it 4-1. The first piece of silverware into the trophy cabinet for the new season.
Chadderton 2-4 Wythenshawe – 18/7
Pre-season continued with a trip to Oldham to face Chadderton, a fixture we failed to win last season. Immediate pressure from the Ammies led to another goal from Aaron Dwyer after 14 minutes, tapping home a Prince Anuniru pass from the edge of the six yard box. Henry Carne made it two in two minutes after meeting a Stevie Hewitt cross and Darius Palma made it three before half an hour had been played, exploiting a gap in the home team’s defence and lifting a shot over the goalkeeper. Chadderton scored two unanswered goals either side of half time to make the last half hour tense, but Aaron Dwyer secured the victory just before full time after slotting home from a Jack Banister cross.
Wythenshawe 3-3 Avro – 21/7
The Ammies had to wait until late July for their return to the Avensure Community Stadium as they faced Avro from step three. Avro opened the scoring after eleven minutes with a counter attacking goal a minute after Dwyer almost created a goalscoring chance at the other end. The away side made it two, smashing in a loose ball into an empty net after Forde brought down the Avro striker. Darius Palma brought one back after 35 minutes with a superb solo run from the halfway line, slotting home into the bottom corner to make it 2-1 at half time. The Ammies started the best of the two teams in the second half and equalised on the hour mark through a Josh Dickin header. Avro took the lead two minutes later after the Wythenshawe defence got caught sleeping after the restart, but that goal was cancelled out another three minutes later when George Sankey smashed one into the roof of the net. The game fizzled out after a quick flurry of goals but ended in a very competitive affair for both teams.
Wythenshawe 3-0 AFC Liverpool – NWCFL Champions Cup – 25/7
The Ammies returned to Hollyhedge for the NWCFL Champions Cup after winning the North West Counties Premier Division last season, facing NWCFL League Champions Cup winners AFC Liverpool. Wythenshawe took an early lead after just eight minutes when Eoin Charles found George Sankey with an inch perfect cross, who headed home at the back post. The lead was doubled just before the break when Aaron Dwyer wiped his blushes from the game at Cheadle, smashing home a penalty. More chances game for the Ammies in the second half, including a disallowed goal, and the third wouldn’t come until the 90th minute, when Da Costa finished off a well worked move from the home team. A 3-0 win secured the second piece of silverware during pre-season.
Hyde United 0-2 Wythenshawe – Ray Stanley Memorial Shield – 2/8
Wythenshawe’s pre-season finished with a trip to east Manchester to face step three Hyde United in the Ray Stanley Memorial Shield, paying respects to the former Hyde secretary and the first outing of the new yellow away kit. George Sankey scored again as he opened the scoring, finishing into an empty net after a Darius Palma defence splitting ball put the Hyde ‘keeper into no man’s land. Chances came for both teams, including Dwyer hitting the post, but the first half ended 1-0 to the Ammies. It was a similar story through the second half before Jack Banister nipped in front of a Hyde defender to smash home a Sankey cut back to give Wythenshawe a two-goal lead. Another impressive and comprehensive victory ended pre-season with another piece of silverware and five wins from seven games.
Speaking after the Hyde game about how he found pre-season, boss James Kinsey said: “Pre-season as a whole has been a real challenge, we’ve had lads injured and a lot of lads away but a real positive six weeks for us. We’ve got an unbelievable group that we’ve kept together and we’ve come here [Hyde] today and won 2-0 and nobody can begrudge us that.
We know what we’re capable of and we’ll just keep riding the wave and we look forward to next Saturday.”
About the FA Cup game against Padiham, Kinsey said: “The reason I can’t wait for it is last year we went there and got absolutely battered, the first game of our season, so I can’t wait for that to see where we’ve come and where we’ve gone. If we get beat 3-0 I don’t think that’s because we’re nowhere near good enough anymore, I think that means it will be a freak result because we’ve just become that strong as a group.”
About the new signings, Kinsey said: “The new lads who have come in haven’t embedded or shown what they’re capable of yet, but I know how good these players are that we’ve brought in, I wouldn’t have brought them in otherwise. I think we’ve got a real, real good group and I’m looking forward to it.”
Oliver Evans – Wythenshawe FC Sport Journalist
Photo Credits
Harley Walden
Lucy Palmer-Davies
Bill Shepherd
