Rochdale Online Alliance League round-up

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

The destination of the first divisional title of the season in the Rochdale Online Alliance Football league was decided last Saturday as Syke claimed the Asia Restaurant Division 1 title after a season packed with outstanding individual and team performances, points and goals.

Nine more goals against Sudden Carling takes their final league tally to an incredible one hundred and twenty six goals in just eighteen games and it is a tribute to runners up Castleton, acknowledged by the Syke management, that the destination of the title went down to the final league game.
Goals from Highton (3) Traynor (2) Kershaw (2) Bentley and O’Brien safely wrapped up one piece of silverware allowing Syke to focus on a potential cup final appearance on May the 8th.

The Premier Division title race will go to the wire after Weavers held Wardle to a 2-2 draw in a passionately contested affair at Firgrove; a result that means wins from both of their final two league games, away to Fothergills & Whittles and home to Harlequin, will ensure Weavers retain their crown; four points will result in a play off and anything less will see Wardle crowned champions.

A combination of the conditions, the state of the pitch and what was at stake was always likely to ensure this was no classic in terms of the football played; but there could be no doubting the passion and commitment from both sides as tempers boiled over at times amongst team mates as well as at the match officials. Wardle were keen to atone for what was, by their own admission, a poor showing in the previous meeting between the two and they began the game very well in terms of possession and goal threat with Bargh’s handling looking uncharacteristically shaky on occasions in the Weavers goal. Nevertheless, clear chances were at a premium until Wardle imploded once again after twenty minutes. A routine long ball down the middle was allowed to bounce on the edge of the box and when the covering Wardle defender landed on top of Hands after missing his attempted clearance completely it was s simple decision for referee Tim Buckley to make; penalty to Weavers duly dispatched by Hands.

To their credit Wardle were galvanised by this set back and were posing problems for the Weavers back line, and they were back on terms within ten minutes as Redfern headed home from close range to tie matters up. Weavers then lost Simm, to injury, and parity as Smith headed home at the back post to send Wardle in at the break with a title winning lead, but the small matter of another forty five minutes to hold on to it.

The game, if anything, became even more frenetic after the interval as the clock began to run down with Weavers searching for the goal they needed . Slowly Wardle were being pushed back deeper in to their own half but there was little flow to the game with every decision, no matter how minor, being contested and tempers beginning to fray.
The crucial phase of play arrived as the game entered its final quarter. Substitute Buchanan forced his way down the right hand side and his cross was turned against the post ; but before Wardle could comprehend their let off Hands reacted first to hammer home the rebound and pull his side level.

Within minutes Ingham became unnecessarily involved in a middle of the park skirmish and was shown an inevitable red card and Wardle’s task of securing a winning goal was made that much more difficult and ultimately unsuccessful.
On balance a draw was probably a fair result at the end of a game well handled by Tim Buckley who, on Saturday evening, no doubt recalled the famous words of politician Roy Hattersley:"What makes a sane and rational person subject himself to such humiliation? Why on earth does anyone want to become a football referee?!"

The top three sides in the Matthew Montgomery & Co Division 2 all came away with maximum points from their travels with a nap hand from David Milne leading the way for Castleton 2nds against a somewhat over run Tod Boro Vets.
No such luxury for leaders Whitworth Valley 2nds, winners by the odd goal in three at Rochdale Asia 2nds, or Wardle 3rds as goals from Dewhirst and Mcloughlin edged them to victory by the same scoreline at Sun Hotel.

A potential points adjustment may well propel Wardle further into the title mix up though the rearranged clash of the top two at Rawstron Street in a fortnight’s time is more likely to provide the ultimate winners of the Division 2 title.

In the days remaining games only local pride was at stake as Roca overcame Asia courtesy of two goals from Daniel Hutton, and Rochdale Asia came away from a rapidly declining Whitworth Valley with all three points thanks to a lone strike from Tanveer Aslam.

Meanwhile in Division 1 Wardle 2nds home victory over Waggon Athletic, Shaw (2) Jones and Large the scorers, means victory over Weavers 2nds in their final game would give them a good chance of finishing outside the relegation places for the first time this season.

Attention switches to the cup again this weekend and victory for Wardle over Roca in the AW Trippier Cup will see them through to the knock out stages as winners of Group B and a potential semi final clash with... Weavers!

No issues are likely to be resolved in the E Lythgoe Memorial Trophy, other than the rubber stamping of Syke’s and Castleton’s passports in to the semi finals, where they will avoid each other, whilst in the C Potts Cup victories for the away sides in Group A, Whitworth Valley 2nds and AFC Royton, will see them through and a point for surprise package Donkey Dodgers at Whittles Park will enable them to qualify from Group B.