West Men Preview | Winsford United (A)

Winsford United vs West

• Saturday 10th October 2026
• 3pm kick off
• Midland Football League Premier Division, Matchday 14
• Barton Stadium, Wharton Road, Winsford, CW7 3AE
• Admission
  • £10 Adults
  • £6 Concessions
  • £2 Children

A late, late show at Cheadle in midweek was enough to salvage a point for West, with league leaders Winsford United awaiting this Saturday.

Two first half goals for Cheadle Town meant we were up against it going into the second period. The heavens had opened between the two, making the conditions something else West would have to overcome to take anything from the evening. Just as it looked as though the contest may peter out, an ill timed push in the box allowed substitute Max Leonard to halve the deficit from the spot in the 75th minute.

West pressure followed, with chances at both ends, but deep into injury time the persistence finally paid off. Having withstood a succession of balls into the box, the Town defence were eventually breached in the fourth minute of added time. A scramble ended with Victor Abadaki, also fresh from the bench, forcing the ball home and sending the sizeable travelling support back to Chorlton with something to show for the evening.

Results elsewhere in the Midland Football League mean we've slipped to seventh ahead of this weekend's trip. Saturday's hosts may currently sit top of the table, but they come into the fixture with a point to prove. They welcomed second placed Runcorn Town to the Barton Stadium on Tuesday and were put to the sword for only their third defeat of the campaign. With both Runcorn and Northwich Victoria holding two games in hand, Winsford now sit third on points per game and will be eager to respond quickly.

They are the first side we'll have faced both home and away in the league this season, with Winsford having visited Brookburn Road in mid September. What had been a tight encounter was turned in their favour after the hour mark, with Jordan Johnson scoring from range in the 64th and 75th minutes before Daniel Guiver converted with five to go to put gloss on the scoreline.

Since then, their fortunes have fluctuated somewhat. A 3-2 defeat to Abbey Hulton United was followed by comfortable victories over Sporting Khalsa (3-1) and Tividale (4-1), before Tuesday's loss to Runcorn.

Our most recent visit to the Barton Stadium came last season, when we drew 1-1 in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round before West won the 'home' replay at Irlam. In the league, we last made the trip to face the Blues in 2022/23, as Dontai Gabidon and Ben Elliott bagged to seal a 2-0 victory. Overall, however, it has proved an unhappy hunting ground when facing the Blues, with three West wins, one draw and five losses. We'll be hoping to improve that record on Saturday.

This weekend's Midland Football League Premier Division fixtures

FA Vase fixtures

Getting to Winsford United

The Barton Stadium is on Wharton Road in Winsford, with the entrance to the ground off Kingsway. For supporters travelling by public transport from Manchester, Winsford railway station is the closest stop and is around a 15 minute walk from the ground.

From Manchester Piccadilly, take a train to Crewe and change there for a service to Winsford. There are no direct trains between Manchester Piccadilly and Winsford, but the quickest journeys take under an hour, with the Crewe to Winsford leg taking around eight minutes. From Winsford station, follow Station Road towards the town centre for around a mile before turning right onto Kingsway. The entrance to the Barton Stadium is towards the end of Kingsway on the right.

The number 37 bus also serves Winsford station and the Wharton area, with stops on Wharton Road and Station Road close to the stadium. However, for supporters arriving by train, walking from Winsford station is likely to be the simplest option.

Please check National Rail before setting off for the latest train times and any engineering works.

For those driving, the postcode for the ground is CW7 3AE. From the M6, the stadium can be approached via either Junction 18 and the A54 through Middlewich, or Junction 19 via the A556 and A533. Parking is available at the front of the ground, although supporters are advised to arrive with plenty of time before kick off.

Midland Football League Premier Division table, after the games on Wednesday 7 October

Midweek's Midland Football League results