Rochdale Online Alliance Football League round-up
Date published: 25 March 2010
Rochdale Online Alliance Football League
Victories for Wardle and Weavers last weekend have almost ensured the title will be decided when the two meet in a fortnight’s time at Firgrove. Asia played some neat football in their game at Rutherford Park but the home side were always too strong and ran out comfortable winners whilst Weavers gained a measure of revenge for their surprise defeat against Roca a month earlier.
Determined not to let the advantage gained by their win at Wardle slip Weavers began at pace and the quality of their football looked as though it might well overwhelm a Roca side that began one man short. As dominant as Weavers were in the opening half hour they could not find a way through until Staniland played a clever one two on the edge of the box and finished with real composure.
Roca came more into the game as an attacking force either side of half time without ever really threatening Bargh in the Weavers’ goal but Weavers were beginning to get agitated at their failure to add to their advantage until an unnecessary challenge in the area conceded a soft penalty converted by Hands to put his side in the comfort zone.
The remainder of the game was end to end and somewhat harsh on Roca as Weavers turned defence into attack in devastating fashion in the 89th minute for Peters to convert Sykes’ cross and Hands added a fourth in time added on.
Elsewhere Whitworth Valley got back to winning ways though they had to come from 2-0 down to beat Rochdale Asia at Firgrove and bottom club Harlequin recorded just their second league win of the season – a victory that ensures opponents Dusty Miller are relegated alongside them.
Conditions were awful at New Barn so all credit to the players on both sides and the man in black for enduring a quagmire of a pitch allied to a howling wind and driving rain for the entire ninety minutes. Bates and Wright netted twice within sixty seconds to give the home side the advantage and it seemed game over when Bates made it 3-0 after hitting a post minutes earlier. However, a goal on the stroke of half time and another early in the second put Dusty right back in the contest only for Pearce to add two late goals to seal the points.
Castleton’s demolition of Waggon means Syke will have to win their final league game of the season to take the title in the Asia Restaurant Division 1 whilst Wardle 2nds third league victory of the season means they still have a mathematical chance of finishing outside of the relegation places at the expense of either Waggon or Jacks House.
The title decider in the Matthew Montgomery & Co Division 2 at Rawstron Street was abandoned after an unfortunate injury to one of the Castleton players, and with Sun Hotel’s home game the only one to fall foul of the weather, Wardle 3rds were the divisions only winners, their 3-2 home win over Donkey moving them up into third place.
Hargreaves have curiously been unable to translate their league form into the cup and a third successive defeat sees them dumped out of the E Lythgoe Memorial Trophy at the group stage. Weavers 2nds 4-3 win at Goshen makes them favourites to progress along with Syke who beat Sudden Carling 3-0 in the day’s other cup game.
Syke made changes to their normal starting eleven and went in front with a long range strike from Matthews on fourteen minutes. Highton made it two on the half hour to end the scoring in a half of missed chances and outstanding keeping by the Sudden number one.
A more leisurely paced second period saw Tyson add a third goal with Traynor’s return to fitness another boost for Syke as the season enters its final phase.
The focus shifts to the cup this weekend though one of only two league games is the day’s significant one in the BKC Trophies Premier Division as Wardle take on third placed Whitworth Valley at Rutherford Park.
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