By Liam Price, photo by Peter Robinson
It’s a tantalising game on Saturday at the Swansway (3pm kick-off) as the Dabbers, on their best unbeaten home run for 7 years, face league leaders Lower Breck.
Lower in Name Only
They are the team everyone in the NPL West is talking about. Lower Breck are 5 points clear at the top of the league and have consistently embarrassed much more established clubs along the way since their promotion from the North West Counties Premier.
That promotion came in remarkable circumstances. They accrued 106 points but didn’t win the league as Bury pipped them on the last day. Luckily they won in the play-offs as it would have been incredibly cruel to have a season such as that and not go up.
The numbers since then are pretty spectacular. 13 games, 9 wins, 3 draws and 1 defeat. More goals than anyone else with 30. Alongside the Dabbers they are the only other team left unbeaten at home. More away wins than anyone else. A goal difference at least 7 better than anyone else.
One thing you can say about their recent games is they have been favourable in terms of the opposition. The 5 games they’ve played in October have been against the sides that make up the current bottom 5 in the NPL West. They drew with Darlaston, beat Trafford and Wythenshawe Town, came from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with Congleton, then beat Sporting Khalsa 3-0 last Saturday. But you can only beat what’s in front of you.
If you hadn’t heard of Lower Breck until a few months ago, then don’t feel too guilty. They only formed in 2010 and for the early years worked their way up through regional leagues in the Liverpool and West Cheshire area, reaching the North West Counties system for the first time in 2018. And everyone at Step 4 knows their name now.
If there’s one man responsible for their rise, it has to be Gary Moore. He’s been the only first team manager in the club’s history and helped to form the club along with his wife and dad.
Their ambitions are made clear on their own website. They have ‘the National League well within their sights’ and they believe their home Anfield Sports & Community Centre ‘will become the the premier 3G facility in Liverpool’.
Players to Watch
A spectator at a recent Breck game described Alex Cherera on social media as ‘the best player I’ve ever seen at Step 4’. That gives you some idea of the threat he’ll pose. At the time of writing he is the second top scorer in the NPL West with 9. They were able to get him from Bury after a successful spell for them in the North West Counties Premier, and he was also on loan at Widnes late last season.
Fellow forward Lewis Buckley has scored in his last 3 games and has 7 for the season in the league.
And there is at least one ex-Dabber in their ranks. Frazer Cookson made 3 appearances on loan at Nantwich in the 23/24 season, which featured an unlucky red card away at Solihull in the FA Trophy.
Match Information
Please note that as this is our last home game before Remembrance Sunday, we will be having our period of remembrance before kick off, so we would ask that supporters are in place a little earlier than usual. Many thanks.
You can buy tickets online for this one HERE or on the gate with cash or card.
Dogs are allowed as long as they are kept on a lead.
Please be careful with parking and avoid parking on the road that leads into the housing estate as it causes bad traffic issues.