Rochdale Online Alliance Football League round-up

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

The BKC Trophies Premier Division title race looks destined to go to the final league afternoon of the season after Weavers inflicted leaders Wardle’s first defeat of the season in surprisingly comfortable fashion at Rutherford Park last Saturday.
Weavers were sharper in possession and in the tackle from the first whistle and thought they had an early penalty when Sykes was brought down in the box only for an offside flag to deny them. The windy conditions, allied to a dry pitch, were not conducive to good football but the home side were really finding it difficult to get into their stride and it came as no surprise when Hands was first to a loose ball in the area to open the scoring after sixteen minutes. Wardle in reply were restricted to knocking balls over the top for Smith to chase but to little effect and when Hands reacted quickly to beat Scowcroft to another loose ball in the area he managed to put enough pace on the ball for it to cross the line before being cleared by a despairing Wardle defender. Agitated by a decision they clearly felt hard done by Wardle could have been completely out of the game minutes later when they did concede a penalty only for the normally reliable Hands to fire wide from twelve yards.
Strong words no doubt at half time from the Wardle management team but the early signs in the second period were of little change as Weavers continued to pick up second ball all over the park and Wardle’s front runners failed to make much of an impact on the well marshalled Weavers’ defence. The game’s key moment arrived on the hour as Bargh’s long clearance evaded the home defence and bounced in to Hands’ path just outside the penalty area. Even though the ball’s trajectory was taking him away from goal Hands, without breaking stride, hit it first time back across the face of Scowcroft and into the top left hand corner – a goal worthy of completing anybody’s hat trick.
Wardle stuck to what now seemed an impossible task and Smith finally forced Bargh’s first save of real note in the seventieth minute only for Hands to beat Scowcroft to yet another loose ball in the Wardle area to make it four for him and 4-0 to Weavers with quarter of an hour to go. Bargh made another excellent save to keep Wardle at bay before substitute Butterworth’s mazy and mainly unchallenged run down the left ended with him teeing Sykes up for the fifth and final goal of an afternoon Wardle will quickly want to put behind them.
Both sides still have plenty of work to do in the intervening weeks, especially Weavers who have played two games less than Wardle, but it does seem likely that the outcome of the title may well be decided on April 3rd when the two teams meet in the return fixture at Firgrove.

The first issue to be decided this season sees Harlequin relegated from the top flight following their 4-3 defeat against Roca Juniors. Leading 2-0 at one stage Harlequin were unable to hold on and top scorer David Bates’ hat trick proved too little too late for the Quins.

Elsewhere goals from Craggs, Doherty and Hoyle restored Whitworth Valley to winning ways at the expense of Dusty Miller whilst Asia picked up a surprising point at Fothergill & Whittles, Ahmed and Eastmond the scorers with Bocock and Holbrook replying for the home side.

The away sides certainly didn’t travel well in the Asia Restaurant Division 1 without a goal between them in the three games played whilst the home sides amassed the princely sum of twenty two! Sudden Carling led the way with nine against Woodbank thanks to Holt (3) Neal (2) Rushton (2) Nelson and Teasdale whilst Castleton kept up the pressure on leaders Syke with eight against Rochdale Sacred Heart. A hat trick for Carey saw Hargreaves through to a welcome three points after successive league defeats with Ghassemi and Madigan making up the five at the expense of a Jacks House side that rarely seem to travel well.

With Castleton 2nds in cup action Whitworth Valley 2nds returned to the top of the Matthew Montgomery & Co Division 2 with a comfortable 4-1 home victory over bottom club Fothergill & Whittles 2nds whilst the real surprise in this division was AFC Royton’s 5-0 home defeat to mid table Sun Hotel; a defeat that ends their hopes of promotion this season.

In the division’s other game two goals from Whitham and one from Bottomley gave Todmorden Vets a narrow victory over fellow strugglers Donkey Dodgers at Bellholme.

Wardle 2nds have endured a disappointing season in the league but their cup form has been much better as their 5-3 victory over Waggon Athletic in the E Lythgoe Memorial Trophy goes to show – a Karl Musgrave hat trick instrumental in the win, whilst in the C Potts Cup the football boot was definitely on the other foot as high flying Wardle 3rds were dumped on their proverbial backside by Rochdale Asia 2nds at Rakewood.
Meanwhile in Group B Castleton 2nds have seemingly guaranteed their progress to the knock out stages with victory over Sudden Carling 2nds at Firgrove.

In this weekend’s league programme Weavers will be confident of atoning for their recent league defeat at the hands of Roca Juniors, whilst Wardle will need to ensure they don’t dwell on last Saturday’s performance when they face Asia at Rutherford Park.
The day’s key fixture appears to be the clash of the top two at Rawstron Street in Division 2 as Whitworth Valley 2nds take on Castleton 2nds. A victory for the home side would all but guarantee them the title but any other result will surely take this outcome to the final day of the season.