Rochdale Online Alliance Football League round-up

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

A fortnight must seem a very long time for Whitworth Valley as successive home defeats to their nearest title challengers in the BKC Trophies Premier Division and a blank Saturday fixture wise has seen them fall ten points off the pace at the top of the division.
Wardle and Weavers have followed up their victories at Rawstron Street with successive wins against potentially tricky opponents and now the clash of the top two at Rutherford Park on the 13th of March can be anticipated as potentially crucial to the destination of this season’s league honours.

Wardle always had too much in reserve for a spirited Dusty Miller as goals from Whiteside, Wood and Brierley earned them a comfortable victory whilst Weavers were not particularly extended by Rochdale Asia at Firgrove. First half goals from Hands (2) and Hodson reflected Weavers territorial advantage,though the visitors came more into the game in the second half as Weavers relaxed, and Naveed Butt reduced the deficit with twenty minutes to go. Weavers then found it difficult to step up the pace again but any hopes Rochdale Asia had of getting something out of the game ended when they were reduced to ten men with six minutes to play following a poor tackle on the young Weavers substitute Harrop. The game ended in near farce as Asia completely lost their self discipline and the win moves Weavers to within four points of Wardle, with a game in hand.

For the second week running Roca Juniors missed a crucial penalty, this time on the hour mark as they trailed Asia by a single goal. Amir in the Asia goal made a fine double save to keep out the spot kick though he was beaten ten minutes later by Taylor to level matters. To compound the penalty miss a long ball down the middle was then sliced into his own goal by an under pressure Roca defender and the points were Asia’s in a competitive game played in the right spirit.

In the top division’s remaining fixture Fothergill & Whittles moved up to fourth with a comfortable 4-1 home victory over Harlequin at Whittles Park.

Only two games, and no goals for the away sides, in the Asia Restaurant Division 1 as Syke moved one step closer to the title with a seven goal thumping of Waggon Athletic. A somewhat frantic first half ended with Syke two in front courtesy of Bentley and Highton though Waggon had had their chances to atone for their early season thrashing at the feet of the same opponents! Edmonds was fouled in the area early in the second period and picked himself up to dispatch the penalty for his first goal of the season and further goals for Highton (3) and Bentley saw Syke past the century mark for the season in spite of the valiant efforts of the Waggon keeper who had an outstanding game, as did referee Liam Browne.

Hargreaves stay third after a narrow victory over Sudden Carling at Goshen. Two excellent saves by Davidson in the Hargreaves’ goal ensured a first half stalemate, and the game followed a similar pattern in the second period until a through ball down the middle was latched onto by Crawford and his shot carried too much power for the Sudden keeper who got a good hand to it but could not keep it out. The game’s final quarter was played out mainly in the home half as Sudden searched for an equaliser they deserved but could not find.

In direct contrast to the fortunes of their first team Whitworth Valley 2nds took a significant step towards the league title in the Matthew Montgomery & Co Division 2 with a 4-0 home victory over challengers AFC Royton. Goals from Hoyle (2) Dench and Pountley were too much for Royton who now seem out of the title race.
Almost out of the race too are Wardle 3rds as a point, as good a point as it was at Castleton 2nds, is not likely to be enough to realistically keep them in the hunt. Pearce and McLoughlin got the goals that were cancelled out by Hargreaves and Smith and the clash between the top two at Rawstron Street on the 20th March now seems key to the destination of the title in this division.

Elsewhere, two goals from Kean were enough to lift Sudden Carling 2nds off the foot of the table for the first time this season with a win at Bellholme whilst Fothergill & Whittles 2nds were slipping to defeat, and the bottom, in the Littleborough derby v Sun Hotel ; Dunn (2) Noon and Jorgensen the scorers there.

And finally, four goals from Dumitru ensured Rochdale Asia 2nds enjoyed a better afternoon than their first team as they proved far too strong for Donkey Dodgers.

Pick of the weekend’s action in each division starts with a tricky looking trip on paper to Whittles Park for Weavers ; Hargreaves won’t find pursuit of third place or better easy at Firgrove against Weavers’ second string and AFC Royton have an immediate chance of pay back against Whitworth Valley 2nds in their C Potts Cup tie at New Barn. All games kick off at 2pm.