Rochdale Online Alliance League round up

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

Wardle FC consolidated their position at the top of the Concept Filter Products Premier Division following last Saturday’s 3-0 home win over new boys FC Bury Town at Rutherford Park.

The early exchanges were even with both sides looking to get the ball down and play football and the symbolic chapter of the match occurred just past the quarter hour mark. Firstly a neat move down the left hand side sent Wardle striker Smith through on goal and he calmly rounded the Bury keeper and slotted the ball home. Inside ninety seconds it was Bury wide man Pyrah through on goal in identical fashion but he opted for one touch too many and the chance was gone. Bradley and Ingham missed good chances for the home side as Bury continued to try to walk the ball into the net and half time arrived without further scoring.

Into the second period and the visitors were being given a clear message to the reality of this division as their increasingly long ball approach was dealt with comfortably by Scowcroft in the Wardle goal. A second goal duly arrived with twenty minutes remaining when a cross from the right was only partially cleared to Luke Armitage on the edge of the box and his instinctive half volley sailed into the net to the fascination of the home support.

Bury were now being frustrated on all counts by Scowcroft in particular who was in one of those moods and it came as little surprise when Smith rounded off the scoring in the dying moments of a well contested albeit increasingly scrappy game.

At Whittles Park the other Premier Division new boys also slipped to defeat as Fothergill & Whittles warmed up for their European tie against Chaddertonians this weekend with a 4-2 home win over a Jacks House side not travelling too well so far.
With Nick Holbrook and Lord in charge in the middle of the park the home side were causing Jacks all sorts of problems but keeper Claxton was equal to everything thrown at him in the opening stages. Fothergills continued to press but Whitelaw had to be alert to turn a thunderous effort from Shaw over the bar only for Sutcliffe to glance his header into the bottom corner from the resultant corner.

The lead lasted barely a minute as a short corner was played to Beddard and he curled a sweet right footed effort into the top corner and it was advantage Fothergills inside two more minutes as Law converted his third spot kick of the season following a needless handball.

With the visitors tiring and some of the challenges becoming increasingly feisty Platt made it 3-1 with a tap in before Jacks bought the short corner routine a second time and Platt added his second with the best goal of the game. Orlinski reduced the arrears late on but too little too late on the day.

A tight game at Rawstron Street saw Weavers edge out Whitworth Valley by virtue of a goal from James Taylor leaving Valley longing for the sunny days they thought would never end.

In the Matterson Cranes Division 1 Balderstone and Wardle 2nds maintained their 100 per cent records with victories over Waggon Athletic and Hargreaves respectively.

Percy 2, Burns, Wild and Smith were on target for Balderstone while Wardle had to play over an hour with ten men and were behind no less than four times before Brophy’s late winner gave them all three points to perfectly set up this weekend’s meeting between the two at Springhill Sports Centre.

A Lucas Forshaw hat trick inspired Weavers 2nds to a 5-1 home win over Whitworth Valley 2nds whilst two goals from Chris Johnson helped Fothergill & Whittles 2nds to a narrow 4-3 away win over Rochdale Sacred Heart.

And finally, first point of the season each for Rochdale Asia and Castleton after they shared six goals at Firgrove.

Moorcock continue to set the pace at the top of the Matthew Montgomery & Co Division 2 after a 6-3 away win over Horse & Farrier but AFC Royton lie in wait with a game in hand as their 100% record continued with a 3-1 win at Fothergill & Whittles 3rds. Full back Gary Jackson was Royton’s man of the match with two first half goals and Lewis Wild sealed the points midway through the second period.

Bridge dominated the first period at Walsden Rec against Jacks House 2nds with goals from Matthews and Riley scant reward for their dominance especially as Goldie had levelled for Jacks in between. A more than generous Jacks defence gifted further goals to Matthews and Hayes only for the game to take another turn with two goals in two minutes from Goldie and Barnes reducing the Bridge lead to just one goal again with half an hour to play.

Bridge then lost Cook to a red card but Jacks singularly failed to take advantage as Hayes completed his hat trick and Stockdale made it 7-3 in the last minute.
A Chris Dewhurst hat trick helped still unbeaten Wardle 3rds to a 6-1 home win over Castleton 2nds while Sudden Carling leapfrogged White Lion courtesy of a 5-2 victory at Matthew Moss.