IT WAS a difficult weekend for the Chester Nomads as both their senior and reserve sides both slipped to respective league and cup defeats.

The Chester Nomads first team crashed out of the Pyke Cup after they lost a seven-goal thriller in their quarter final clash with fellow West Cheshire League Division One side, Ashville.

Strikes from Charlie Mann, Louis Moss, and Ryan Wan looked to be enough to send the Nomads into the last four, but goals from Ashville’s Sam Robinson, Lewis Moynes, and a Sam Hunt double meant that they went through instead.

The other three Pyke Cup quarter finals will take place on Saturday when Upton AA go to Ellesmere Port Town and Redgate Rovers host Mossley Hill Athletic.

Ashville, meanwhile, will face the winner of Newton (Wirral) First’s trip to WCL Division One league leaders South Liverpool.

In Division Three, Jamie Edge’s goal for the Chester Nomads Reserves was merely a consolation as they were thrashed 6-1 by an unbeaten FC Bootle St Edmund’s side.

Braces from John Howard and Neil Storey added to solitary strikes from Connor Harland and Lewis O’Reilly to complete the rout for the top of the table team and move them 11 points clear of second placed Marine FC Reserves.

Newton Athletic bounced back in the Cheshire Football League as they got the better of a nine-goal game against Golborne Sports in their League Two clash.

Adam Pownall scored one and put in a man of the match performance in Newton’s 6-3 victory, with Ben Woodman adding another two.

Dan Christian, Nathan Evans, and Sam Morgan were also on target for the visitors, while Michael Koppel (2) and George Reid scoring in reply for Golborne.

Speaking after his side’s victory against Golborne, Owens said: “That was a really good win for us.

“We were low on numbers with some players out with injury and some only just returning to the team, but we managed to put in a performance on a pitch that was in a really bad condition.

“Adam (Pownall) has been brilliant for us all season and he did it again against Golborne.

“We’ve had a couple of defeats in a row, and really needed a win to get out of that rut. After a few tough away games, we’ve now got a run of home games coming up and hopefully we can use this result to start off another winning run.

“There’s teams around the top who have all played different numbers of games, so it’s difficult to see where everyone is at, but we just have to keep taking wins when we can.”

The win narrows the gap between fourth placed Newton Athletic and league leaders Winnington Avenue to eight points - with Paul Owens’ side having played five games less than the current table toppers – and the two sides going head to head on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Premier Division Challenge Cup match between Crewe and Blacon Youth Club was not played due to the visitors folding as a club in the days leading up to the game.

Crewe were handed a walkover into the semi finals where they will join Middlewich Town, FC St Helens, and Lostock Gralam.

Upton AA had their WCL Division One match against Redgate Rovers postponed with a date for the fixture to be confirmed by the league.