Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

White Lion will face Fothergill & Whittles in this season’s Chairman’s Cup Final after knocking holders Walsden out by the odd goal in seven in last Saturday’s semi final at Firgrove.

The early exchanges were even but the understrength holders fell behind to an avoidable own goal after seven minutes before compounding that error with a needlessly conceded penalty, converted by Currie, to give White Lion a 2-0 lead.

Tempers then became frayed as three Lion players went into referee Tim Buckley’s notebook inside five minutes, an element of their game that they need to acknowledge and remedy if it is not to cost them dear at some future point.

As a degree of order was restored Lion netted a beautifully constructed third goal on forty minutes as a ball into the area was chested down into the path of Currie who drilled a fierce low shot beyond the Walsden keeper.

The holders appeared down and out as for much of the game’s third quarter Lion enjoyed the majority of possession as they pushed for further goals, with Walsden limited to a fierce header from Gilford that was headed off the line by a covering defender. That attempt, however, proved a sign of things to come as a left wing corner from Farry on seventy two minutes was allowed to drift over McNulty’s head and drop into the far corner of the net, and just five minutes later Marrow’s powerful header from a right wing corner reduced Lion’s lead to just a single goal.

McNulty had to make a superb reflex save from a close range attempt before Lion broke down the right and the ball across the face of the Walsden area was bundled home by Parton to double his side’s lead.

Walsden were not finished and exploited Lion’s weakness from set pieces a third time as Gilford headed home but, despite frantic pressure in the final five minutes, it was Mark Horner’s side who progress to Easter Monday’s final against Fothergill & Whittles.

In the day’s league action Rochdale Sacred Heart extended their lead at the top of the Sartori Sharpening Services Premier Division with a hard fought 5-3 home win over Fothergill & Whittles, Lewis Wild (2), Gary Nash, Hatel Patel and Ross Oldroyd their scorers. The defeat realistically signals the end of Fothergills’ hopes of retaining their title and they can now focus on emulating Walsden’s double cup success of twelve months ago.

Elsewhere, Chadderton Park recorded their first league win, 3-2 over Falcon, and FC Littleborough bounced back from their cup travails courtesy of a 7-1 home win over Sudden.

The day’s big winners in the Matthew Montgomery & Co First Division were Horse & Farrier as they also recorded their first win of the season, and only their second in their last thirty eight games, with a 6-3 home triumph over Chadderton Park 2nds. A Conor Girling hat trick was mainly responsible, supported by a double from Cameron Pomroy and a rare strike from deserving player manager Damian McHale.

Hargreaves are emerging as the closest challengers to runaway leaders Rochdale Asia and goals from Lee Carey, Paul Allen and Dominic Kay earned them a fifth league win in seven outings at Falcon 2nds.

The day’s other semi final saw Rochdale Asia overcome Fothergill & Whittle 2nds 4-0 to reach the final of the Alletson & Mitchell Memorial Trophy.

Fothergills were also understrength but their cause was not helped by the dismissal of keeper Gary Taylor for dissent. Another hat trick for the division’s leading scorer Omar Malik sees his side through to the Good Friday cup final against Balderstone on the back of their sixteenth successive victory of the season to date.