Rochdale Online Alliance League round up

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

A disappointing weekend for our local sides in the LFA County Cup as the last of our representatives bowed out in the round of the last thirty-two.

Weavers were beaten 3-1 at home by Chew Moor Brook and Fothergill & Whittles went out to a nap hand from North Lancashire Premier Division outfit Carnforth Rangers at Whittles Park.

Two goals in the opening nine minutes from Danboyi and Nixon emphasised the size of the local side’s task and although they had plenty of possession they failed to trouble Price in the Carnforth goal.

Adhaal replaced the injured Holbrook in the middle of the park and his pace and strength began to cause the visitors problems but Fothergills were caught on the break in the fifty fifth minute and Danboyi’s second goal was cruel on the home side.

Four minutes later the game was over as Danboyi completed his hat trick and although Adhaal deservedly put Fothergills on the score sheet Nixon got his second almost immediately to end the scoring and leave the last sixteen of this competition Alliance League free for the first time in several seasons.

In the Concept Filter Products Premier Division Asia’s third draw in four games was not enough to take them off the foot of the table as a disputed last minute penalty earned Roca a share of the spoils.

On a very poor surface at Littleborough Sports Centre Roca took an early lead when Malik was left unmarked at the far post and for half an hour Roca held on to the lead although Asia were playing much the better football and dominating possession. An equaliser had to come and Haque provided it in the thirty sixth minute only for a defensive error gifting Roca the lead back within a minute as Malik netted his second of the game.

It didn’t take Asia long to level as Khan carved his way through the middle of the Roca defence to slide the ball past the advancing keeper and just two minutes later Asia had the lead for the first time in the game through Ahmed.
After four goals in nine frantic minutes at the end of the first half the game settled into something of a lull in the second period with Asia’s passing game in contrast to Roca’s more direct approach. Neither keeper was particular troubled but with a first Asia win of the season just a minute away Roca substitute Khan was first to a ball played into the box and caught a fraction later to earn the penalty dispatched confidently by O’Neill to level the contest at three apiece much to the angst of the away side.

Leaders Wardle avenged their first defeat of the league season seven days previously with a 4-2 home win over Whitworth Valley at Rutherford Park – Smith 2, Ingham and Bradley the scorers there while Jacks House continue to find life hard away from the confines of Walsden Rec as they lost 3-2 at FC Bury Town.

The form guide went out of the window in the Matterson Cranes First Division as leaders Wardle 2nds were beaten 3-2 at Whitworth Valley 2nds and even more surprisingly second placed Balderstone lost 5-3 at home to Rochdale Asia.
Weavers 2nds took advantage of Balderstone’s lapse even though they were held at home by Castleton, Matthews and Hands with the Weavers goals, and Waggon fell to their seventh successive defeat as White 2, Greenwood, Astley and Lee scored the unanswered goals for Fothergill & Whittles 2nds at Greenvale.
Comical goalkeeping was the main reason for a topsy turvy game at Derby High School as Rochdale Sacred Heart scored twice in three minutes through Terry and Hibbert only for Hargreaves to do the same back through Carey and Madigan. Hearts then repeated the feat with goals from Kershaw and Patel but still left enough time for Pickering to reduce the arrears again before the half time whistle.

It seemed game over as Hibbert and Patel made it 6-3 to Hearts by the fifty second minute but Ghassemi (61) and Pickering (80) ensured a frantic finish to a manic game.

Another frantic 6-5 game saw the end of leaders Moorcock’s unbeaten record as goals from Stockdale 2, Haynes 2, Matthews and Porter sent Bridge to the top of the Matthew Montgomery & Co Division Two table in their place.

That result leaves AFC Royton as the only unbeaten team in this division though they will need better performances than the one that saw them squeeze past Horse & Farrier at Firgrove to maintain that record.

Murphy put Farrier in front by following up his own saved penalty kick in the fifth minute and the lead was maintained until a self inflicted equaliser from Ogden after the Farrier keeper picked up a back pass minutes from the interval.
Within two minutes of the restart Farrier had visions of repeating their cup win over the same opposition as Murphy collected the ball in his own half and capped a mazy solo run with an unstoppable finish.

Farrier tired as the game progressed and Royton upped the tempo courtesy of three telling substitutions and Grant levelled matters with seven minutes remaining. The draw seemed fair but with ninety seconds left on referee Mayne’s watch substitute King netted the decisive goal – harsh on Farrier on the day but a win that sends Royton back into second place.

Sudden Carling moved up to fourth courtesy of a 3-0 home win over Wardle 3rds thanks to goals from Whitworth, Shepherd and Devlin while two David Collins goals earned Fothergill & Whittles 3rds a point at Oulder Hill against Castleton 2nds.

And finally a James McDonald hat trick allied to further goals from Baxter, Smale and Crew earned improving Woodbank their second win of the season over White Lion in the third 6-5 result of the afternoon.