Rochdale Online Alliance League round up

The last weekend of the ROAFL Premier Division season prior to the top and bottom half split saw three teams contesting third place behind Weavers and Wardle.

Two of the contenders, Fothergill & Whittles and Whitworth Valley, met at Whittles Park while FC Bury Town needed all three points from their home game with bottom club Asia in the hope that F&W would slip up.

The game at Whittles Park began at a frantic pace but with no real pattern or quality to the game.

The Fothergill’s custodian Smith turned a long range effort onto the post to deny Valley a precious lead before the breakthrough came in the thirty fifth minute. Referee Tim Buckley, who maintained calm and firm control throughout, awarded Fothergill's a free kick on the half way line that was vociferously contested by several Valley players. As they lost focus Doyle played a quick free kick and from Platt’s cross Chris Holbrook netted from close range.

The second half continued in much the same vein as the first without any real chances of note and a single goal victory was enough to clinch third place for Fothergill's.

As it transpired a point would have been enough as Bury’s challenge ran aground against an Asia side that dispatched them from The President’s Cup earlier in the season.

Asia continued their run of good form,that augers well in their battle to avoid relegation, with a 5-3 win at Seedfield that takes them within a point of both Jacks House and Whitworth Valley.

The day’s other Premier Division side in action were Wardle in the President’s Cup and two goals from Danny Armitage helped them to a narrow 3-2 home win over Jack's House.

In the Matterson Cranes Division 1 title race it was a very bad day for second placed Balderstone as they were demolished by Rochdale Sacred Heart at Firgrove.

In a niggly, bad tempered affair Hearts were too good in most areas on the day with only Jopson maintaining his reputation for a Balderstone side who, without a dedicated keeper due to Watson’s injury, are struggling to maintain their form of the first half of the season.

3-1 up at the break Hearts killed the game as a contest with a tremendous start to the second half; two stunning goals in ninety seconds just reward for some inspirational football that belies a side languishing in mid table.

Patel 2, Allatt 2, Barnes, Booth and Jimmy Kershaw were the scorers and the two sides meet again this weekend at Springhill Sports Centre.

With leaders Wardle 2nds 2-1 winners at AFC Royton in the Alletson & Mitchell Memorial Trophy, Balderstone still trail Wardle by three points but that vital game in hand has now gone.

Elsewhere in this division there were welcome wins for Hargreaves, 5-2 at Castleton, and for Fothergill & Whittles 2nds, who are still very much in the title mix, 10-2 at Whitworth Valley 2nds with hat tricks from no less than three players, Royle, Astley and White.

In the Matthew Montgomery & Co Second Division, leaders Bridge require just four points from their remaining three games to clinch the title in their first season in the league.

Stockdale, Lynskey and Gibbons were the goalscorers in their 3-1 away win at Woodbank, a game their title rivals would have been hoping might pause their charge to the title.

Two of their rivals, Moorcock and Wardle 3rds, did themselves no favours with a 2-2 draw at Rakewood, while Sudden Carling kept alive their own hopes of promotion with a 9-4 win over Horse & Farrier, and this after trailing 1-4 at one stage!

Four goals from Jack's House 2nds, Barnes and a hat trick from Bull, swept aside Castleton 2nds at Walsden Rec, while Fothergill & Whittles 3rds opened a six point gap over White Lion in the bottom half of the table after a 4-3 win at Firgrove.

In the day’s other cup action, Rochdale Asia joined Wardle 2nds in the next round of the Alletson & Mitchell Memorial Trophy with a 10-1 win over Waggon Athletic at Springhill Sports Centre.

And finally… two key games this weekend on 3G surfaces in the Premier Division as Weavers meet Wardle at Matthew Moss in the race for the title and Asia host Jack's House at Hopwood Hall as the battle to avoid relegation hots up.