Rochdale Online Alliance League round-up

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

Whitworth Valley are one of the town’s long established senior amateur football clubs having played in the Lancashire Combination, the forerunner of the North West Counties League, back in the late 1970s and more recently in the Manchester League. So if you ask anyone connected with the club about their first season back in the Rochdale Online Alliance Football League and they will tell you all about the distinct feeling of underachievement.
The AW Trippier Cup is the first team’s last chance of success this season but they faced a tricky group stage clash with champions Weavers at Rawstron Street last Saturday knowing a win was imperative if they were to have a realistic chance of progression.
Clegg and Hallsworth dominated the midfield from the outset as Valley started at a high tempo and with Wormald and O’Loughlin giving the Weavers front line little time or space the home side certainly held the early advantage. However, Bradley had the first real chance of the game for Weavers but shot wide and when his side failed to clear a corner from the right Foster fired Valley ahead.
With Clegg still the game’s stand out player the game was well into the second half before the second goal arrived as confusion in the Weavers defence allowed Foster to chip the ball over the stranded Bargh.
Valley should have anticipated the response as Weavers sought the quick reply to bring them back into the game and they got it as Bradley fired home after his first effort had been blocked. Now the home side were under real pressure and a desperate interception from O’Loughlin prevented Marshall from going through on goal before Wormald blocked Hands close to the line allowing Doherty to clear.
Valley needed a response and they got it with the dangerous Foster close to completing his hat trick on more than one occasion before a through ball put Garry in the clear and he finished superbly to seal a vital win for his side.
Valley now meet Fothergill & Whittles in their final group game this weekend with victory confirming progression to the knock out stage for either side. A draw – and they are both through. Don’t mention the 1982 World Cup at Whittles Park! Weavers can still make it through but will need two significant results to achieve that.

Two goals from Steven Faulkner earned Weavers 2nds the point they needed to ensure qualification from Group A of the E Lythgoe Memorial Trophy at the expense of Rochdale Sacred Heart whilst Jacks House progressed from Group B after derailing Waggon Athletic with considerable comfort at Walsden Rec.

On Monday evening Sun Hotel and Donkey fought out a 3-3 draw in a league fixture but for Donkey that result came a week too late as their cup defeat to the same opponents meant it is Sun Hotel who qualify for the semi finals after a 6-1 home victory over Fothergill & Whittles 2nds – White 2, Harriss-Hudson 2, Smythe and Dunne their scorers.

In the day’s only league fixture to be played Castleton completed a successful season as runners up in the Asia Restaurant Division 1 with a 2-0 home win over Sudden Carling. McEvoy and Davies scored the goals that gave Castleton their fifteenth win in eighteen league games and they are the only side to take points off champions Syke this season. Ultimately, however, a 4-3 home defeat to Weavers 2nds in early October cost them the title.

In today’s only league fixture the top two clash in the Matthew Montgomery & Co Division 2 at Rawstron Street where victory will seal the title for leaders Whitworth Valley 2nds. Any other result will bring visitors Castleton 2nds and even Wardle 3rds ( courtesy of an imminent points adjustment ) into the equation for the last round of league fixtures in early May. The match kicks off at 2pm.