North Star too good in Rochdale Online Cup Final

Photo: Jon Coluccio

Rochdale Online League Cup winners, North Star.

32 More Image(s) In Gallery

North Star eased to victory over Bricklayers in the final of the Rochdale Online League Cup at Spotland.

The game was over by half time thanks to goals from Andrew Fulham, Matthew Russell and Carl Taylor, while Ben Greenidge and Richard Headen added the gloss in the second half.

Favourites North Star worked the first clear cut chance of the game as Matthew Russell took advantage of a weak header back towards his goalkeeper from Chaz Dowsing. Daniel Stewart saved comfortably low down but he was called into more meaningful action a couple of seconds later, tipping the ball superbly onto his post as Andrew Fulham’s deflected shot flew towards the corner.

It wasn’t long before Fulham was on the score sheet, taking advantage of a gaping hole in the Bricklayers backline and slotting the ball comfortably beyond Stewart.

The underdogs settled after the goal and began to knock the ball around in midfield. A fine move involving Danny Kershaw and David Thomas saw the latter play the ball through for Michael Howarth to latch onto in the box. The full back should have brought Bricklayers level but Steven Birchenall was out quickly to smother the shot.

North Star had too much pace in attack for their opponent’s back line and they opened up a two goal advantage midway through the half. Fulham turned creator as he burst along the byline and cut the ball back perfectly for Russell to slam home from close range.

The second goal deflated Bricklayers and two soon became three as Carl Taylor was given the freedom of the penalty area to nod Paul Ashton’s cross beyond Stewart.

By the end of the half it was one way traffic and there was no sign that Bricklayers would be able to muster a consolation goal, let alone get themselves back into the game in the second half.

The half time break did Bricklayers some good as they burst out of the traps at the start of the second half. Thomas unleashed Kershaw with a perfectly weighted through ball and the striker should have done better than to drag his shot well wide of the far post.

North Star were soon back into their stride having survived the early scare and Stewart did well to keep the scores down as he kept out Carl Taylor’s low shot at his near post.

The half became something of none event as North Star settled on their lead and Bricklayers never looked like forcing further saves from Birchenall.

Star added number four late on as Ben Greenidge made an unlikely burst from defence and latched onto a precise through ball to finish convincingly beyond Stewart.

Bricklayers set about getting a deserved consolation and Kershaw brought the save of the game out of Birchenall when he fired an excellent strike from the edge of the box that forced the Star keeper to turn the ball over the top at full stretch.

It wasn’t to be for the gutsy minnows and Star hit a fifth in the dying moments as Taylor sent substitute Richard Headon free and he rifled his finish beyond Stewart.

At the end of the game Ian Kimber, a director at Rochdale Online, who sponsored the competition, presented match officials Richard Wild, Nick Blackburn and David Taylor with their medals before handing over the runners-up trophy to Bricklayers captain Nick Dowsing and the Rochdale Online Cup to North Star skipper Steven McCann.

Attendance: 318

Man-of-the-Match: Matthew Russell – North Star.

Bricklayers: Stewart, Howarth (Tomlinson), C. Dowsing, Hill, Wright (Martyn), Storey, Clarke, Watson, Kershaw, Thomas (Greenwood), N. Dowsing.

North Star: Birchenall, Howarth (Biggs), Pagham, Greenidge, Gaffney (Mitchell), McCann, Mackay (Headen), Fulham, Taylor, Russell, Ashton.
Subs (not used): Titterington, Steele.

Attempts (on target): North Star 19 (8) Bricklayers 9 (3)
Free kicks: North Star 11 Bricklayers 15
Offside: North Star 10 Bricklayers 4
Corners: North Star 11 Bricklayers 4