After their good midweek win in the local derby at Abbey Hulton, Eccleshall travelled to Manchester to meet league leaders Wythenshawe Amateurs looking to avenge their 5-0 home defeat back in February. With Carl Dickinson and Chris Boast suspended and Ryan Malbon carrying an injury, Liam Kelly again had to shuffle the pack although he welcomed back Aidan Blaise after injury and Luke Lewis after suspension. Both were on the bench.
Amateurs, chasing the championship, showed their early intent and went ahead after only two minutes. Eagles failed to clear their lines from a Charles Duke free kick, and it was flicked on by Joel Aikenhead to Saul Henderson who slotted home past Alex Atton. The Eagles keeper then watched an Adam Owen cross go over the bar. Worse was to follow when the home side scored again after 16 minutes. Bryan Ly ran forward, and his shot beat the diving Atton only to hit the post and Henderson headed the rebound home. Four minutes later, it was 3-0 when a Duke cross into the box was touched home by Joseph Bevan. The home side were dominant, and Atton was then forced to tip an inswinging corner over the bar. Eagles were trying to get back into the game and Jordan Benton found George Woodroffe outside the box and his powerful low drive had to be tipped away by Amateurs keeper Kyle Haslam. On 37 minutes, the home side were 4-0 up when an Owen corner from the right found Henderson and he completed a first half hat-trick with a header which beat Atton to find the net. It was almost five when Ly tried a shot from distance and Atton had to quickly back pedal to palm the ball away. The Eagles keeper then held another Henderson header. Just before half time, a Jordan Flattley free kick for the Eagles came to nothing. At the whistle for the interval, Eccleshall had had no answer to the home side’s superiority, and it was going to be a matter of damage limitation in the second half.
HT: Wythenshawe Amateurs 4 Eccleshall 0

Manager Kelly rang the changes for the second half, bringing on Aaron Woolrich in goal, Luke Lewis and Jordan Darlington for Josh Waite and Callum Feeney. It was Darlington who had an early chance, but he fired over the bar. Amateurs went close again when Declan Lamb crossed, and Henderson headed wide. However, the home side got back in the groove and went five up when Ly ran clear and fired under Woolrich into the corner of the net. Kelly brought Louis Downs on for Woodroffe before Edward Brown fired wide after being set up by Henderson. On 74 minutes, it was six when Jake Pollard cut into the box and drilled the ball past the advancing Woolrich into the corner. Blaise came on for Mark Groom but then for the final ten minutes, Eagles were reduced to ten men when Benton was forced off injured, having used all their subs. Lewis had a couple of late chances before Woolrich made a good save from Samuel Dickov.
FT: Wythenshawe Amateurs 6 Eccleshall 0

The home side looked every inch the champions and Eccleshall were comprehensively beaten on the day. Eagles now look to their away match at Ellesmere Rangers on Easter Monday to try and recover from this heavy defeat which brought their recent good run of form to an end.

Eagles: Atton (Woolrich), Benton, Woodroffe (Downs), Pickup, Groom (Blaise), Dunn, Feeney (Darlington), Flattley, Waite (Lewis), Stanton, Glover.

Referee: Mr Darren Whitfield
Attendance: 318