Rochdale Online Alliance League round up

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

Pride of place in Week 4 of the new ROAFL season goes without doubt to Fothergill & Whittles as they continued the club’s renaissance with a superbly crafted victory over LAL Premier Division outfit Chaddertonians in the third round of the LFA Amateur Cup at Whittles Park.

What makes the victory even more significant is the fact that Chads defeated holders Hurst Green in the previous round and so arrived confident of progression at F&W’s expense.

Not so as Chads soon discovered, outplayed in the opening quarter and 2-1 down inside twenty minutes despite opening the scoring. Chads front two caused the home defence problems all afternoon with their sharp movement and link up play and their early lead could, and perhaps should, have been doubled but for Morton’s superb recovery to clear the ball off the line. His reward came with Platt’s equaliser followed moments later by Law’s penalty after Beddard had been upended in the box.

Back came Chads as their front pair threatened danger constantly and two quick goals restored their advantage before the half ended on a sour note as Fothergills lost Doyle to a red card for his reaction to a poor challenge and then Chads were down to ten too when the perpetrator of the first challenge repeated his act of malice on Beddard and received his marching orders from referee Iain Macdonald.

The interval and the referee’s intervention seemed to have cooled tempers as both teams set about each other in the footballing sense and Holbrook levelled matters again with a stooping header from a corner as Fothergills began to press Chads back deep into their own half. Yet again however the visitors responded positively and a clumsy challenge from Platt gave them a spot kick and the lead once more. However, there was still time for one final twist as Platt atoned for his error with a precious equaliser and an inspired Fothergills found the energy to push on and secure the crucial ninth goal of the game as Holbrook netted in the closing moments of an enthralling encounter superbly handled by the aforementioned Macdonald.

Fothergills will now meet Carnforth Rangers in Round 4 and are joined at that stage by Weavers who defeated Hooley Bridge Celtic on penalties after the game ended 1-1 in normal time. Weavers will also have a home tie in the fourth round against LAL outfit Chew Moor Brook.

In the Concept Filters Premier Division Whitworth Valley and Asia picked up their first point of the season after a three all draw at Rawstron Street. In truth Valley should have been celebrating a first win, especially as they led 3-0 as the game entered the final ten minutes, but they were ultimately undone by the clever movement off the ball and timing of his runs by Kamran Zamir that brought him a seven minute hat trick and that first point for his team.
Life in the top flight is not proving much easier for Jacks House as goals from Cochrane and Brown were not enough to prevent a home defeat to Roca who had Malik 2 and Donovan on the score sheet.

It’s advantage Wardle 2nds at the top of the Matterson Cranes Division 1 following their 4-3 win at previously unbeaten Balderstone. Williams opened the scoring in the very first minute and Brophy doubled it after eleven. An error by Bargh in the Wardle goal gifted Petrillo an opener for the home side and Kershaw soon levelled matters after a neat one-two on the edge of the box.
Williams’ second goal of the afternoon, and eighth of the season, restored Wardle’s lead and right on the stroke of half time O’Sullivan chested in what proved to be the crucial fourth goal for his team.

Burns reduced the arrears with a little over twenty minutes to play and both sides had chances to add to the scoring but to no avail.

Weavers 2nds remain third as six different scorers made up their half dozen against Waggon Athletic at Firgrove but it was one man who made up Rochdale Asia’s half dozen against Fothergill & Whittles 2nds – Naveed Butt! On a day when everything he struck hit the back of the net he produced a scoring feat that others will do well to match this season.

A Danny Oldham hat trick gave Castleton their first win of the season at Rochdale Sacred Heart and goals from Crawford and Graham were enough for Hargreaves to overcome Whitworth Valley 2nds at Derby HS.

AFC Royton dropped their first points of the season in the Matthew Montgomery & Co Division 2 as a niggly and somewhat ill tempered affair against Jacks House 2nds ended all square at New Barn. The point sees Royton draw level with out of action Moorcock at the top but allows third placed Bridge to close the gap to just one point after a comprehensive 7-1 home victory over a struggling Castleton 2nds courtesy of a second successive hat trick for George Haynes alongside goals for Matthews, Stockdale, Riley and Noble.

Wardle 3rds are still unbeaten following their 3-1 home win over a White Lion side that have slipped a little after a good start while Dave Devlin joined the hat trick list in Sudden Carling’s 8-2 home win over Horse & Farrier at Matthew Moss.

And one final hat trick to report… from David Collins as Fothergill & Whittles 3rds ended their poor start with a 6-2 win at Greenvale over Woodbank.