Safe passage for Alliance sides in cup

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League round-up

It was Sharrocks Amateur Cup action for two of the ROAFL’s leading clubs last Saturday and both Weavers and Wardle made it safely through to Round 3.

Weavers edged their home tie with Warrington based Culcheth Athletic by the odd goal in three and now go on the road to Galgate whilst Wardle were comfortable 4-1 winners at Kirkby United and are rewarded with a home tie against Enfield. Both games will be played on 17 October.

Only two games were played in the BKC Premier Division and Whitworth Valley opened a three point gap at the top of the table with a 3-1 away win at Fothergill & Whittles. Foster (2) and Craggs were the scorers whilst Law scored the first goal Valley have conceded this season.

The other top flight fixture is viewed very much as a matter of local pride and Roca and Asia didn’t disappoint in the early stages as both teams fought to gain the upper hand. Both sides had their keepers to thank for the early parity until Ahmad Yasin fired Roca into a thirty third minute lead after a free kick was deflected into his path.

The old cliché a team is never more vulnerable than just after they have scored was proved yet again as Roca’s lead lasted precisely sixty seconds as Shahid Khalique slotted home the equaliser.

Asia should have been ahead seven minutes later but were again denied by the Roca keeper.

Roca played the better football for most of the second period but were punished for their failure to convert this superiority into goals on eighty minutes when Khalique netted his second of the afternoon, coolly slotting the ball past the stranded home keeper.

Sensing defeat Roca upped their game but committed defending from Asia secured them a valuable three points.

Rochdale Asia manager, Rais Bhatti, was delighted with his team’s performance, especially in light of the fact that they have had to come from behind in both games this season to earn maximum points and he was magnanimous enough to acknowledge the Roca keeper as the man of the match.

In the Asia Restaurant Division 1 both Castleton and Syke maintained their 100% records. The former edged out Hargreaves at Goshen courtesy of goals from Harris and Fitton whilst Syke were comfortable 5-2 winners over Sudden Carling with goals from Kershaw (3) Wilson and Milne.

At the other end of the table Waggon Athletic remain pointless after a 3-4 home reverse to Wardle 2nds who had Moseley to thank for his hat trick. Elsewhere Woodbank secured their first points of the season with a 2-1 win at Rochdale Sacred Heart whilst a double from Weavers 2nds' Steven Faulkner was enough to bring Jacks House down.

Yet another hat trick hero was Gabriel Dench and his goals ensured Whitworth Valley 2nds maintained their immaculate start to the season in the Matthew Montgomery & Co Division 2 with a 6-0 thrashing of Rochdale Asia 2nds at Rawstron Street. Though Dench was bettered by Ryan Altimas, who contributed four of Castleton 2nds' seven goals as they outclassed Todmorden Vets at Oulder Hill. Both AFC Royton and Wardle 3rds maintained the pressure on the early season leaders with comfortable home wins whilst Donkey Dodgers and Fothergill & Whittles 2nds cancelled each other out at Firgrove.

Rochdale Asia v Asia is the stand out fixture in this weekend’s games in the BKC Trophies Premier Division though Castleton v Weavers 2nds will push it close in the Asia Restaurant Division 1. Finally in the Matthew Montgomery & Co Division 2 leaders Whitworth Valley 2nds will no doubt view their trip to Bellholme as the ideal opportunity to extend their lead at the top with victory over Todmorden Vets.