Rochdale Online Alliance Football League round-up

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

Weavers' trip to Fothergill & Whittles and Wardle’s home game against Asia fell foul of the Weather Gods again last Saturday, but Asia will no doubt be regretting the wisdom of reversing their game as Wardle 'thanked them' by handing out a ten goal thrashing that takes them seven points clear at the top of the BKC Trophies Premier Division. Watson, Smith, Williams and Brierley shared the goals on a day when the title race really became a two horse race as Whitworth Valley slumped to a third consecutive league defeat.

It will be of no consolation to Valley to know that they will play worse than they did last Saturday and win games but they were one down within three minutes after conceding a needless free kick. They then dominated the first half with some lovely one touch football but there was no end product and it was 2-0 to Roca with a breakaway goal on twenty two minutes. Valley enjoyed the majority of possession in the second period but Roca looked much more likely to score and did so on fifty five, sixty eight and eighty eight minutes to add Valley’s scalp to that of Weavers a fortnight ago. Ahmed, Hanson, Umar, Shah and Knowles the scorers for a Roca side capable of beating anyone on their day.

In the Asia Restaurant Division 1 Syke’s inexorable march towards the title continued with another emphatic victory at Firgrove – Rochdale Sacred Heart this week’s sacrificial lambs. They must have known it wasn’t to be as Bentley put Syke ahead in the first minute! Sutcliffe netted the second from twenty five yards and Milne ended his recent barren spell with the third swiftly followed by a double from Danny Kershaw. 5-0 and game over after just fifteen minutes. Astonishingly there was only one more goal in the next hour and that went to Paul Sloan…of RSH! There should have been two but Worswick in the Syke goal saved a penalty and then it was normal service resumed as O’Brien, Freer, Wilson, Bentley and Milne took their side into double figures once again. Credit to the visitors, and their keeper in particular, for their contribution to the game but it will take a major effort from either Weavers 2nds this Saturday or Sudden Carling on April 3rd to prevent Syke from lifting the title.

Castleton will no doubt pursue them to the bitter end and four goal Michael Kearney led them to an equally emphatic victory over Woodbank; Altimas (2), Fitton, Mason and McEvoy their other scorers.

The battle, probably only for third place, is no less intriguing and it’s advantage Weavers 2nds after a hard fought 3-2 victory over Hargreaves on a sticky Firgrove pitch that made free flowing football a difficult art. Shine gave Hargreaves the early advantage and they might well have added to that lead before Faulkner took his first opportunity beautifully to level the scores before the break. An equally proficient finish from Worsley put the visitors back in front but Weavers finished the game the stronger, though it was something of a fortuitous equaliser from George to say the least. Worrall’s header from a set piece ended the scoring and has added spice to the afore mentioned clash with Syke this weekend.

Elsewhere the spoils were shared at Walsden Rec and Wardle 2nds will be the happier with only their fifth point of a difficult season for them whilst Waggon Athletic gained a welcome victory over Sudden Carling at Matthew Moss thanks to a hat trick from Jenkins and a double from Berry.

With the leaders of the Matthew Montgomery & Co Division 2 in cup action Castleton 2nds narrowed the gap at the top to two points as David Milne’s five goals helped them to double figures over Fothergill & Whittles 2nds.

Wardle 3rds stayed in the race with a comfortable victory over Rochdale Asia 2nds whilst Sudden Carling 2nds and Donkey Dodgers contested a three all draw that leaves both sides on ten points at the wrong end of the division.

Sudden were the stronger team throughout and led for all of a minute through Kean before Darrell Butterworth equalised. Sudden then dominated proceedings on a difficult surface but were struck by the curse of the Butterworths, Josh this time, after fifty seven minutes. One more minute and the lead was gone again as Kean levelled for Sudden with his second of the afternoon. Larkin then put Sudden ahead on seventy seven and it took Dave Osbourne a ridiculous nine minutes to level matters for the third and final time!

In the two cup ties played Dusty Miller and Harlequin also fought out a 3-3 draw as goals for Eden, Pearce and Bates for Harlequin were cancelled out by Hardman (2) and Ridley at Goshen.

Meanwhile AFC Royton extracted a measure of revenge for last week’s damaging league defeat with a 3-1 victory over leaders Whitworth Valley 2nds in the C Potts Cup. King (2) and Fearon were the scorers for Royton who, while confident of cup success, will surely wish this result had occurred seven days ago in the league.