Rochdale Online Alliance League round-up

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

The penultimate weekend of the Rochdale Online Alliance Football League provided this season’s cup finalists and the final piece in the fascinating jigsaw puzzle that has been the Matthew Montgomery and Co Division 2 title race.

In the President’s Cup Wardle provided the major shock by overturning the new order, league champions Castleton, by the odd goal in five. This fixture was the first game of the season back in sunny September and Castleton won it 9-1, so they travelled with a confidence that was soon dented as Greenwood and Hill put Wardle two up inside half an hour. An error by the normally faultless Scowcroft in the Wardle goal gave Castleton a lifeline that they seemed to have made the most of as an equaliser from Hayes soon followed, and both sets of supporters were subjected to a tense finale to a game that was never a classic and provided plenty of talking points. In the end the champions failure to deal with a long throw cost them as Howson converted from six yards and it’s Ross Turner’s men that take their place in the show piece final at Rochdale Town this Saturday where they will meet Whitworth Valley.

Fothergill and Whittles have progressed steadily as a club in the past few seasons and went into their semi as favourites, but football is never a game that can be trusted to hand itself over to the form book. They did open the scoring when Law pounced on a poor back pass to round the keeper and Holbrook hit the post just after Law had another effort brilliantly saved by the Valley custodian.

This passage of play proved the turning point as almost immediately errors in the F&W defence gifted Valley two goals in sixty seconds to go in ahead at the break.

The second half saw plenty of F&W pressure but with Wormald outstanding in the middle of the park Valley defended their advantage with a degree of comfort and as legs began to tire struck twice more late on to seal their place in the final.

Whitworth Valley 2nds and Hargreaves meet next Monday evening in a game crucial to both the top and bottom of the Matterson Cranes Division 1 and will now also meet in a dress rehearsal as it were – the final of the Alletson and Mitchell Memorial Trophy, also at Rochdale Town this Saturday, kick off 3.00pm.
Valley’s second string made it a double for the Whitworth club with a comfortable 6-0 victory over cup surprise packet Woodbank – the end of the road for the Nuttall Park outfit who have nonetheless gained a lot of encouragement from their cup exploits after a difficult season in the league.

The second semi was a much tighter affair settled in the end by penalties after normal time and extra time failed to separate Hargreaves from Prestwich Town.

With reference to the league encounter Hargreaves 3-0 midweek defeat at bottom club Rochdale Sacred Heart drags them right back into the relegation mire whilst at the same time giving RSH renewed hope of the great escape!
Hargreaves (Played 19 – 18 points) travel to Valley (19-40) whilst Rochdale Sacred Heart (19-16) have to play Weavers 2nds (19-40) in games that at the very least will decide who finishes as runners up to Jacks House. Waggon Athletic (20-18) have finished whilst Sudden Carling (19-15) are away to mid table Peels Arms in their last game.

My psychic friend tells me that Hargreaves, Waggon Athletic and Sudden Carling will all find themselves on 20-18 after Monday night while it really would be the great escape if RSH finished above them.

That missing jigsaw piece was found by the water at Greenvale as Balderstone finally found themselves with a real game of football after a disappointing rash of failed fixtures had left them out of action for too long.

They needed a point to clinch the Matthew Montgomery and Co Division 2 title in their first season in the league whilst Fothergill & Whittles 2nds needed all three to keep their promotion hopes alive, given the possible expulsion from the league of Rochdale Asia 2nds.

It was F&W ahead in the very first minute through Clark but the champions elect were soon ahead themselves through Hassall and Shaw. A superb free kick from Craw levelled matters in the second half only for Balderstone to nose ahead again thanks to a goal from Smith. With time running out Craw’s effort was deflected in by an unfortunate Balderstone defender to level the contest at 3-3 but time ran out for Fothergills and they miss out on promotion to Sun Hotel as Balderstone clinch the title.

Congratulations to them, and also to all the teams who have contributed to a fascinating season long battle for promotion in this division, and good luck to the six teams still involved in the up and down Division 1 mix – no doubt there will be one to defy my psychic friend - Because that’s what amateur football is all about!