After an opening day defeat at the hands of Ashton Town, Widnes will be looking to bounce back immediately as they return to league action with a quick fire double-header as Steve Hill’s side play two games in the space of three days. Firstly, the Whites are the visitors in a historic game for North West Counties Football League newcomers Stockport Town as the occasion marks the club’s first-ever competitive home league fixture.

Saturday’s 3-2 defeat against Ashton means that Widnes have only won 1 of their last 10 league fixtures, in a run stretching back to last season. The Whites have only won 2 league games throughout the entirety of 2015 and will travel to Stockport looking for a win that will jump-start their season into a high gear.

The hosts kicked-off their inaugural campaign in impressive fashion. Lead by manager Calum Sykes, Stockport travelled to last term’s beaten playoff finalists Hanley Town and won their first ever league game 3-2. Matt German went into the history books as he netted Town’s first ever league goal 16 minutes in, before further goals from Sam Scott and Andrew Mottershead ensured that Sykes’ side picked up all 3 points.

Widnes manager Steve Hill believes that Stockport’s win away at Hanley shows that this won’t be an easy game for his side. “The fact that they beat Hanley Town tells a story. They’ll be a very difficult side to beat. We have to go there prepared and ready so that we can get 3 points on the board as soon as possible.

Widnes will be wary of the threat posed by Stockport striker Nathan Neequaye. Neequaye, whilst playing for Cheadle Town last season, scored 4 goals in 2 games against Widnes last season as the striker bagged 21 goals for his club last term before moving on to Stockport prior to pre-season.

Team News

Widnes will welcome back midfielders Danny Lomax and Luke Edwards to the squad as both players were unavailable for the visit of Ashton on the opening day. Paul Carney is also available for selection after missing the last two games of last season, and the opening fixture through suspension. Remaining on the topic of suspensions, defender Gary Williams will definitely miss out as he is serving the second of a two-game ban picked up last season.

Goalkeeper Gage Walsh is likely to hold on to the no.1 jersey at Stockport in what is proving to be a competitive position for Widnes this season, with Rob Cork and Grant Hartley, who is close to a first-team return following a broken finger, vying to be the Whites’ shot-stopper.

With plenty of options going forward, manager Hill may be inclined to rotate his front-line as he aims to get the best out of Jamil Campbell-Joseph, Josh Williams, Paul Hynes and the returning Edwards.

Final Thoughts

A win for Widnes would hand Hill’s side their first 3 points of the season, potentially carrying the club as high as 7th in the First Division table if results go their way. As for Stockport, a win would give them a 100% record to start the season, leaving the newcomers joint top of the table with multiple other clubs.

Admission

Adults - £5
Concessions - £2 (Under 16’s, Students and Over 65’s)
Programme - £1

If you can’t make it to the game, don’t forget to follow the club on Twitter, @Widnes_FC, for a live feed of all the action.