By Steven Oldham Cover photo: Mark Torbitt (Cheadle Heath Nomads vs Shawbury United)
The new-look North West Counties First Division South is back - and the early front runners are Cheadle Heath Nomads, Alsager Town and Cammell Laird with two wins from two.
Nomads beat league newcomers Shawbury United 2-0 on the opening day, and backed this up with a 4-1 victory at Runcorn Town - laterally transferred from the North Division - on Monday night.
Max Lewens was on target in both matches, and with five different scorers in two matches it looks like Nomads have goals in them across the pitch. Paul Fay's side recorded their highest ever position last season with a sixth placed finish.
READ MORE: North West Counties: Strong starts for Bacup Borough, Nelson and AFC Blackpool
Alsager started off with victory in new manager Simon Heaton's first game - and a quirk of the fixture list saw them come up against former managers Dean Jones and Dominic Johnson in their new venture at Winsford United.
The Bullets won 3-1, and despite being reduced to ten men in their second match against New Mills, picked up a 2-0 victory. Ashley Brogan was given his marching orders with 15 minutes to play.
Cammell Laird are another side starting strongly with victory over the returning Foley Meir and Stockport Georgians by the same 2-1 score line. James Eaton and Jack Kelly scored in both games for Lairds.
Perennial promotion candidates Sandbach United picked up a point in their first match - with the debuting Ben Greenop on the scoresheet in a 1-1 draw with Stafford Town. The first victory was achieved at Barnton on Wednesday night - with Greenop once again on the scoresheet alongside Niall Cope, with the former Ashville striker settling into his new surrounding like a duck to water.
Stafford followed that point with a 1-0 win at Abbey Hulton, with Sean Kinsella netting the game's only goal.
ONE EACH: Stafford Town started with a draw against Sandbach United (Kieran Stoddart)
The rebuild at Market Drayton Town under new boss Dan Dawson after an abject 2023/24 season is off to a good start with the club's first league win since last October. The Gingerbreads picked up a 2-0 midweek win over Wolverhampton Sporting Community after an opening day defeat at Ashville.
Barnton have a win and a loss - beating Wolverhampton 4-3 on the opening day, but falling to defeat at home to Sandbach in midweek. Lee Turkington's brace in the opener included the winning goal on 82 minutes.
Ashville's opening day win over Market Drayton came courtesy of Joe Dulson's goal 13 minutes from time, with new manager Steven Scott wrapping up three points in his first game. However, Winsford United bounced back from defeat to dispatch Ashville with a Jack Woolley penalty late on in Tuesday's game.
TO THE PUNCH: Goalmouth action between Runcorn Town and New Mills (Martin Fallon)
Eccleshall are unbeaten - but are yet to win having drawn twice. A 2-2 draw with Stockport Georgians was quickly followed by a 3-3 home tie with Foley Meir - results which give those two sides their one point on the board.
There are three teams without a point to date - Abbey Hulton, Wolverhampton Sporting and Runcorn Town - and with the first two playing each other this weekend, at least one of these sides will break their duck by Saturday teatime.
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