Rochdale Online Alliance Football League round-up

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

After a six week lay off the Rochdale Online Alliance Football League emerged from hibernation with the honourable exception of Dusty Miller’s home game with Weavers. With leaders Whitworth Valley not in action Wardle had the ideal opportunity to open up a gap at the top of the BKC Trophies Premier Division as they faced Harlequin for the second game in succession. Any thoughts the home side would have had of a repeat of their seven goal A W Trippier Cup victory were soon dispelled as Pearce fired Harlequins into an early lead. Wardle levelled through Dorrington and the game ebbed and flowed before Bates was tripped in the box and picked himself up to fire home the resultant spot kick. The visitors then looked to protect their lead until the break but were defied by Williams’ equaliser on the stroke of half time. Wardle improved after the interval but yet again it was the visitors in front through Simpson, capitalising on another defensive error from a strangely out of sorts Wardle side, before Smith levelled matters for a third time to conclude the scoring.

Elsewhere in the top division Fothergill and Whittles maintained their renaissance with a comfortable home victory over Roca Juniors, courtesy of goals from Holbrook, Platt and Harvey, whilst Asia and Rochdale Asia shared the spoils at Firgrove.

Top versus bottom in the Asia Restaurant Division 1 did not have quite the same competitive edge as at Rutherford Park as leaders Syke fired eighteen goals past the unfortunate Woodbank custodian who seemed rather keen to go all the way onto Milnrow Road to retrieve the match ball in the second period rather than take the much faster option of waiting for the replacement ball to arrive! Scott Highton helped himself to nine of the eighteen with Bentley (4), Milne (3), Tyson and Wilson the other scorers.
The win sends Syke five points clear at the top as Castleton were held to a 3-3 draw at Firgrove by Weavers 2nds. Davis (2) and Kearney were on the mark for Castleton with Worrall, Atkinson and Bradley replying for Weavers. Hargreaves move into third place as four goals from Worsley propelled them to a 5-1 home win over bottom club Wardle 2nds while a lone strike from Teasdale at Matthew Moss gave Sudden Carling three welcome points at the expense of Jacks House.

It’s as you were at the top of the Matthew Montgomery & Co Division 2 as the top three all recorded victories; comfortably in the case of Whitworth Valley 2nds and AFC Royton, a hat trick for Lawton in that one, but not so for Castleton 2nds who had an almighty struggle before overcoming Sun Hotel by the odd goal in nine. Smith (2), Tench, Milne and Brierley netted the goals that gave Castleton full benefit from Wardle 3rds surprising home defeat to bottom club Sudden Carling 2nds. After almost reaching the end of November without even a single point to show for their efforts Sudden recorded their third victory in four games thanks to Larkin, Whitehead and a Kean hat trick. The win moves them to within a point of Fothergill and Whittles 2nds who were beaten 4-2 at Rochdale Asia 2nds.

The “luck” of the fixtures sees the leading clubs in all three divisions kept apart from each other this weekend, so they will all be looking to consolidate their respective positions, with perhaps the day’s most intriguing encounter being the Sudden Carling v Castleton double header – providing the weather plays fair of course!