By Liam Price, photo by Staci Hocknell
A first trip to 3rd place Lower Breck awaits for the Dabbers on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
Ready Breck
There was no doubt that Lower Breck were the sensation of the first half of the season in the NPL West, topping the table for large chunks of it. The question always was, though, could they sustain that in this their first season at Step 4?
The answer to that seems to be definitively yes, but not to the extent that they’re leading anymore. There was always going to be a dip, and theirs came at the turn of January into February, where they lost 4 games out of 5, including crucially to a resurgent Bury who are now top.
But they’ve also recorded big wins in the last few matches, including narrowly but importantly beating Runcorn 1-0 and thrashing Wythenshawe Town 6-0. In their last game they defeated Sporting Khalsa 4-3 which was made to look closer than it was as Breck were 4-0 up in the game.
If you take league results in 2026 so far, they have won 4 and lost 5. But that has still been enough to keep them in touching distance of Bury and Avro, 4 points off the top with a game in hand on the Shakers.
With games against all of the current top 3 still to play, the Dabbers could yet have a say in where the title goes.
Last Time We Met
The Dabbers had very little say in the reverse meeting, as Lower Breck ran away with it 4-1 at the Swansway. Highlights below.
Players to Watch
Lewis Buckley, Sam Burns and Alex Cherera have a staggering 49 league goals between them this season. Burns got a hat trick in the reverse game and has 3 in his last 3 too.
Former Dabbers midfielder Paddy Kay is a recent addition to Breck’s side and has 2 goals in 4 games. Another ex Dabber is Frazer Cookson who has played 31 games for them so far this campaign.
Match Information
As the name suggests, Lower Breck’s ground at the Anfield Sports and Community Centre is just down the road from Liverpool’s iconic stadium, postcode is L6 0AG. There have been numerous changes made at the ground in the last month or so including seated stands so they can meet ground grading regulations.
From Nantwich it is about an hour and 15 minutes in the car. As it is based at a community centre, there should be ample parking available free of charge.
Tickets are £8 for adults, £6 for concessions and £4 for under 16s. And don’t forget to get a programme as all season Breck have carried a brilliant Monopoly-style cover on theirs featuring all the clubs in the league, including the Dabbers.