Matt Turner

Witton Albion and 1874 Northwich both lost their opening Northern Premier League West Division matches after winning in the FA Cup at the weekend. Witton surrendered a lead to lose 3-2 at home to Stalybridge Celtic, despite goals from Jacob Hamman and James Steele; manager Ben Harrison highlighted the performance’s positives while acknowledging defensive errors at set pieces. 1874 Northwich lost 1-0 at Newcastle Town to Luca Whitney’s first-half goal, with manager Rory Fallon saying his side was competitive and urging the players to move on ahead of their home match against Chasetown.