There was positive feedback aplenty over the weekend for Altrincham on the club's youngsters who are currently out on loan, with plaudits, in particular, for Ewan McGeady and Josh Jordan at Alsager Town and Eden Bailey at Hanley Town. Here, press and media officer John Edwards rounds up all the action.

Hanley Town 2 Runcorn Linnets 2

Promotion-chasing Runcorn had to settle for a point, but they could easily have left Wood Park empty-handed after Eden Bailey opened his scoring account for Hanley with a superb solo effort to make it 2-0 early in the second half.

Third from bottom in the Pitching In Northern Premier League West Division, Hanley went in front in the eighth minute and looked on course for a morale-boosting win when Eden burst through and expertly rounded the keeper to double their lead in the 46th minute.

But Runcorn reduced the arrears in the 50th minute and equalised in the 71st to round off a second-half fightback that left the sides with a hard-earned point apiece.

Hanley manager Ryan Shotton, fondly remembered by Robins fans for an impressive loan spell of his own at Moss Lane in his early days at Stoke City, was full of praise for Alty frontrunner Eden, backing him to go from strength to strength after registering his first goal for the club.

'We have been saying for weeks and weeks now that when Eden gets one, it will set him alight,' said the former Stoke defender. 'It will really set him off. He played really well last week, and you could see the confidence he took from that and how he has built on it.

'In training on Thursday, he was good, and he took his goal really well, so hopefully he will kick on now.'

Alsager Town 0 Ellesmere Rangers 2

Not the result Alsager were hoping for, in their bid to climb away from danger in the North West Counties League Division One South, but there was plenty to admire about the way Ewan McGeady and Josh Jordan rose to the challenge against fifth-placed Ellesmere Rangers.

Alsager had their moments, not least when Sam Madeley hit the post and bar in one near-miss, but two second half goals from the visitors gave them the points.

Encouragingly, though, from an Alty perspective, Ewan and Josh both got another 90 minutes under their belts and both continued to make a favourable impression on Alsager fans and the club's coaching staff.

Josh commanded the back line with an assurance and maturity beyond his years, on his return to Alsager after a successful spell with Widnes, while wing-back Ewan posed such a threat in possession and worked so tirelessly that he was voted man-of-the-match by the opposition.

Midfielder Harlan Rodgers-Morris was an unused substitute.

Widnes 1 Newcastle Town 3

It wasn't Widnes' day, and they remain rooted to the foot of the NPL West Division, but Alty forward Sharif Deans showed up well, particularly in the early stages, against mid-table Newcastle.

In only the eighth minute, Sharif combined well with Will Jones before firing into the side netting, as Widnes started in positive fashion.

They were rocked back by a Newcastle opener a minute later, though, and began to sense luck was against them when they hit the bar soon after.

Widnes' Jordan Simpson and Newcastle's Callum Lovatt were both dismissed in the latter stages of a first half that ended with the visitors 1-0 up and the two sides reduced to 10 men.

Sharif missed out on an equaliser in the 47th minute, just failing to hit the target as he met a cross that eluded the Newcastle keeper, but Widnes did level matters on the hour with a Jones header.

After Sharif was substituted in the 67th minute, Newcastle pressed forward and claimed the points with goals in the 68th and 88th minutes.

Belper Town 1 Nantwich Town 3

A crucial win for Nantwich at the NPL Premier Division's bottom side, and their attacking intent was exemplified by Alty full-back Aidan Roxburgh.

As early as the fourth minute, a surging run down the right by Aidan was followed by a cross that picked out James Caton, only for his shot to be blocked by a defender.

Four minutes later, it was Aidan's turn to have a goal-bound shot blocked after he was set up by Byron Harrison, as Nantwich took the game to their struggling hosts.

Belper went ahead against the run of play in the 20th minute, but Nantwich were back on terms through Harrison four minutes later.

There were concerns for Aidan in the 50th minute when he went down injured and needed treatment. He was unable to continue and will now be assessed by Alty for what is thought to be a hamstring issue.

Aidan was replaced by Ryan Morton, and the young Alty striker made an immediate impact with a typically-forceful run that ended with a shot that flew wide, much to the relief of a stretched Belper defence.

Troy Bourne put Nantwich ahead in the 71st minute, and the points were secured when coach Gary Taylor-Fletcher rolled back the years in remarkable fashion soon after.

Now 41 years old, the former Blackpool forward was only named among the substitutes when Caspar Hughes pulled up with an injury in the pre-match warm-up, but he soon showed he's lost none of his old touch after going on in the 69th minute.

Seizing on a poor clearance from keeper Tom Jackson near the halfway line, Taylor-Fletcher controlled the ball with his first touch and sent it soaring towards the top corner with his second, much to the despair of the backtracking Belper number one, who could only stick out an arm in vain as it flew past him.

Wythenshawe Town 5 Ashton Athletic 0

Alty defender Owen German has been recalled from his loan spell at Ashton Athletic but his Robins team-mate Lewis Billingsley is still with the NWCL Premier Division strugglers and played at the Ericstan Stadium.

Lewis did his best to carry a threat up front, but it was a real top versus bottom encounter, with league leaders Wythenshawe showing Ashton no mercy.

*A waterlogged pitch at Barnoldswick Town's ground meant that Northwich Victoria, who have Alty defender Joe Cooney on loan, were without a game at the weekend.