ENTRIES for the Cheshire Cup and Shield next season are down by nine to 46 clubs, 27 of them from the Cheshire County League.

New organiser Barrie Burns, the League panel umpire, was obliged to defer the closing date because entries were slow, but he has now circulated the draw.

This reveals 14 games are to be played in round one as early as Sunday, May 4.

This is followed by 16 ties in round two on Sunday, May 25, at which stage the Premiership clubs from the League and Liverpool Competition enter, plus exempted trio Congleton, Hale Barns and Oulton Park.

Clubs losing in the first round will go on to compete in the Cheshire Shield, the draw for which will be made after matches played on on May 4.

Cheshire Cup-holders Chester Boughton Hall host Disley or (more likely) demoted North Staffs & South Cheshire Leaguers Elworth in round two, on May 25. Bramhall, the 2013 Shield winners go to Toft in an all Premier League clash on round 2.

ROUND 1 (Sunday, May 4): Match 1: Widnes v Appleton; Match 2: Upton v Warrington; Match 3; Port Sunlight v Parkfield Liscard; Match 4: Stockport Trinity v Davenham; Match 5: Stockport v Ashton on Mersey; Match 6: Bredbury St. Mark’s v Macclesfield; Match 7: Sandbach v Romiley; Match 8: Disley v Elworth; Match 9: Bollington v Hawk Green; Match 10: Wilmslow Wayfarers v Rode Park & Lawton; Match 11::Offerton v Weaverham; Match 12: Brooklands v Ashley; Match 13: Didsbury v Cheadle; Match 14: Timperley v Northwich.

ROUND 2 (Sunday, May 25): Winners of Match 14 v Nantwich; Urmston v winners of 11; Oxton v Winners of 2; winners of 1 v Hale Barns; Chester Boughton Hall v winners of 8; Wallasey v Alderley Edge; Grappenhall v Oulton Park; winners of 4 v winners of 9; Winners of 13 v Bowdon; winners of 6 v Congleton; Toft v Bramhall; winners of 10 v Marple; Hyde v Birkenhead Park; winners of 7 v New Brighton; winners of 12 v Neston; winners of 5 v winners of 3.

Round 3 is on Sunday, June 25; round 4 on Sunday, July 27; semi-finals on Sunday, August 18; final on Sunday, August 31.

Dates of Shield games: round 1 – Sunday, June 1; round 2 – Sunday, June 29; semi-finals – Sunday, July 20; final – Sunday, August 17.