Rochdale Online Alliance League round up

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

The Frost brothers had oppositional effects on Week 17 of the ROAFL season for while John’s two goals for Woodbank had little impact on Sudden Carling at Matthew Moss, Jack was solely responsible for the postponement of no less than nine games across all three divisions.

Sudden’s 6-2 win, courtesy of a Fitz McKenzie hat trick and goals from Kean, Devlin and Monks, moved them to within seven points of leaders Bridge in the Matthew Montgomery & Co Division 2. Bridge somewhat surprisingly dropped two valuable points in a 4-4 home draw with in form Fothergill & Whittles 3rds, not helped in the slightest by the self inflicted dismissal of their captain Steve Charnock in the forty second minute of the game.

No games at all survived Mr Frost in the Matterson Cranes Division 1 but there was significant action on and off the field in the Premier Division. Wardle’s hopes of catching leaders Weavers were boosted by an additional three points from their unplayed game in November against Jacks House but then negated in ninety minutes by a 0-2 home reverse to a Fothergill & Whittles outfit who, with three games in hand, are genuine contenders for the title.

Fothergills dominated possession and deservedly opened the scoring through Platt midway through the half. Apart from one chance squandered at the back post Wardle did little to trouble Whitelaw in the visitors’ goal and their cause was not helped when they were reduced to ten men midway through the second period. With Doyle dominant at the back, and the midfield quartet of Chris and Nic Holbrook, Platt and Law dictating the pattern of play, Fothergills finally killed the game off when Law scored from the spot after being brought down in the box himself.

Those three games in hand have to be won of course but if they are that would take Fothergills above Wardle and to within two points of keaders Weavers who were comfortable victors over Jacks House at Matthew Moss thanks in part to another hat trick from Nicky Hands.

And finally…spare a thought for Asia’s Ahmed Maqsood, scorer of five goals but still on the losing side as his side’s winless league run went on after a crazy game ended 7-6 in FC Bury Town’s favour at Hopwood Hall.

The visitors are a different proposition with Kyle Pyrah in their starting line up and his four goals proved just enough to earn his side all three points. Bury led
4-2 at the break only for Asia to bounce back to level matters by the sixty fourth minute. Three Bury goals in eleven minutes seemed to have sealed the game as play went into time added on only for Asia to score twice in a minute and then waste two more chances in a frenetic end to a contest high on excitement if somewhat low on quality and….weather permitting, the two sides meet again this weekend at Seedfield.