Premier sides maintain 100% start

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League round-up

It’s a case of as you were at the top of the BKC Trophies Premier Division as all three of the leading sides maintained their 100% record to date this season.

In the “Match of the Day” at Firgrove, leaders Whitworth Valley came out on top after a fiercely contested ninety minutes against Asia.

There was little love lost in the opening stages of the game as both sides contested every loose ball and space was at a premium.

Asia’s rhythm was disrupted by the loss of their captain through injury after twenty minutes and both keepers were required to make smart saves to keep the score sheet blank before Valley made the breakthrough in the twenty third minute through Foster.

Asia then enjoyed a period of superiority that justified an equaliser but instead were caught cold on forty as a counter attack down the right hand side ended with Marshall controlling a ball into his feet with his first touch, his second took him beyond the last defender and his third dispatched the ball clinically past Amir.

Within three minutes Craggs was through to make it 3-0 to the visitors and the Asia management team were left with a huge task on their hands at half time to raise the spirits of their players.

Whatever was said was undone by a basic defensive error within three minutes of the restart and the contest was effectively over at 4-0 to Valley, Craggs the scorer.

As the pace of the game slackened both sides had chances to add to the scoreline and it was Asia, through Eastmond and Karim, who took their opportunities to give the final scoreline a more balanced and respectable appearance.

Asia were put out of their stride somewhat by the physically competitive nature of Valley’s play, an issue they will need to address if they are to make a realistic challenge for this season’s title.

Meanwhile at Crossley, Weavers took the meaning of the phrase physically competitive too far as team mates Sands and Hands gave a new meaning to the term rhyming couplet by earning red cards for fighting with each other! This incident occurred just three minutes after Staniland had opened the scoring for Weavers from thirty yards out.

Harlequin, producing their best display of the season, were left with seventeen minutes to capitalise on their numerical advantage, but Weavers possession football did not allow them to do so and substitute Harrop netted a second goal in time added on to secure an unconvincing victory for the visitors.

Elsewhere, in the other games played in the top division, a hat trick from Craig Wood secured a 4-1 victory for Wardle against Roca whilst Dusty Miller’s first goals of the season, from Hardman and Chambers, earned them their first points courtesy of a 2-1 home victory over Rochdale Asia.

A tough, often bruising encounter in the Asia Restaurant Division 1 saw Weavers triumph in the battle of the second string W’s, 5-3 over close rivals Wardle.

Weavers opened the scoring after just four minutes when, after good approach play, the ball reached Faulkner who coolly slotted home.

Within five minutes Dewhurst kept his feet as the tackles flew in to level for Wardle and that remained the score at the break even though Weavers lost their keeper through injury on twenty eight minutes.

Goals from Faulkner (48 and 54) completed a personal hat trick to give the home side a clear advantage that was reduced within two minutes by Musgrave.

For the next twenty minutes both teams cancelled each other out and chances were at a premium until Faulkner struck again on seventy five to restore his team’s two goal cushion.

Wardle were now committed to attack and Shepherd punished them on eighty minutes to seal the game for his side despite a late penalty from Dewhurst reducing the margin of their victory to 5-3.

Waggon Athletic have turned a goal difference of minus eight into plus six courtesy of a second successive 8-1 victory, bottom club Woodbank their latest victims. Waggon’s scorers were Jenkins (2), Bradshaw (2), Auxille, Berry, Lesley and Wild. Walmsley replied for Woodbank.

In the division’s other games a Danny Kershaw hat trick was the highlight of leaders Syke’s 5-2 home victory over Jacks House, Highton and Milne adding the other goals, whilst Castleton maintained second place, but only just, Holmes, Trippier and Hedderman edging out Sudden Carling by the odd goal in five at Matthew Moss. Hargreaves ensured Rochdale Sacred Heart’s poor run continued by virtue of their 2-0 win at Goshen.

In the Matthew Montgomery & Co Division 2 Todmorden Vets heaped a double dose of anguish on Rochdale Asia’s second string, keeping them waiting almost half an hour following their late arrival before consigning them to a 3-4 home reverse. Whitham (2), Birch and Bottomley meted out the rough justice – Ali, Arif and Dumitru replied for the luckless home side.

From saint to sinner for Fothergills & Whittles 2nds two goal hero last weekend, Ken Platt, as his side slipped to a 3-1 reverse at AFC Royton and he was substituted on the hour mark after a largely anonymous performance. The victory allowed Royton to maintain the pressure on leaders Whitworth Valley 2nds, 4-2 home victors over Sun Hotel, and second placed Castleton 2nds who had a hat trick from David Milne to thank for their 4-0 victory over pointless Sudden Carling 2nds, Hargreaves the other scorer. Perhaps a hint of a surprise in this division’s remaining game as Donkey Dodgers overcame Wardle 3rds by six goals to three, Dewhurst (2) and McLoughlin netting for the losers.

This weekend’s Match of the Day has to be Wardle’s County Cup encounter with Enfield at Rutherford Park whilst Weavers make the long trip north to Galgate in the same competition.

Attention switches therefore to the Asia Restaurant Division 1 top of the table clash between Castleton and Syke at Oulder Hill, whilst the day's longest odds must be on pointless Sudden Carling 2nds trip to Rawstron Street to face unbeaten leaders Whitworth Valley 2nds – stranger things have happened in football!