Rochdale Online Alliance League round-up

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

Wardle had the dubious distinction of becoming March’s proverbial lambs as the Bridge dream continued apace following last Saturday’s dramatic President’s Cup semi final at Firgrove. Having beaten Weavers in the quarter final on penalties Bridge have certainly had to do it the hard way and a 3-2 win over the current cup holders underlines the quality of their play and their character and commitment in their first season in open age football. Whoever joins them in the final out of Asia, Fothergill & Whittles or Whitworth Valley should ensure a game worth watching in May.

In the day’s significant league action Weavers opened what may prove to be an unbridgeable gap at the top of the LRO Premier Division : Balderstone clinched a second successive promotion in the Matterson Cranes First Division and Moorcock defeated AFC Royton to make themselves clear favourites for the second promotion slot in the Matthew Montgomery & Co Second Division.

Moorcock were two up in just seven minutes of their crucial second plays third game at Rakewood through Alfrey and Jackson but that comfort zone was halved when a long kick from the Royton keeper Thorley bounced over his opposite number’s head and in for that most unusual of goals at any level of the game. Shammim restored Moorcock’s two goal lead on thirty three minutes and Alfrey’s second of the afternoon made it 4-1 just five minutes later. Enter Mr Thorley once more – this time keeping out a Moorcock penalty before Hague headed home for the visitors just before half time.

Still very much in the game, and the promotion race, Royton dominated the second period only to be thwarted time and again by the home keeper before Jackson swept home the crucial fifth goal for Moorcock with a little over twenty minutes to play. Alfrey completed his hat trick and Shammim added his second of the afternoon to seal a crucial win for the newcomers with Holden scoring a consolation late on for a Royton side that look set to miss out on promotion for a third successive season.
Wardle 3rds, comfortable winners over Horse & Farrier, and Sudden Carling are now the closest challengers to Moorcock and the Moorcock – Sudden fixture at Rakewood may well decide the outcome of that second place.

Elsewhere, Woodbank can look back on a much improved league season and forward to an Alletson & Mitchell Memorial Trophy semi final tie with Rochdale Asia on the 14th. Two more James McDonald goals gave them a 3-2 win over Fothergill & Whittles 3rds that guarantees them a top half finish while a Brett Warde hat trick helped an inconsistent White Lion side to a comprehensive victory over Jacks House 2nds.

Balderstone guaranteed Premier Division football next season as six different scorers contributed to an easy away win at Castleton. For the history books Jopson, Kershaw, McCarroll, Petrillo, Shaw and Taylor scored the goals in a game that was over inside twenty minutes as a contest with Castleton suffering badly from cry offs on the day.
Three more points from their remaining four games will earn Wardle 2nds at least runners up spot as they overwhelmed bottom club Waggon Athletic at Springhill Sports Centre. Meanwhile, Fothergill & Whittles 2nds promotion hopes disappeared as an Osama Alwarfali hat trick earned Rochdale Asia all three points at Whittles Park and Whitworth Valley 2nds 4-0 home win over Hargreaves makes the latter odds on favourites to join Waggon in Division Two next season.

Fothergill & Whittles started brightly in the first of their three games with Weavers and Platt missed a gilt edged opportunity to open the scoring in the very first minute. Playing the better football Fothergills dominated the half but chances came and went with Law squandering the best of them close to the break. The second period began very much as the first had unfolded but you have to make the most of your chances and when Whitelaw dwelt on the ball after a short goal kick Sykes dispossessed him and put Weavers ahead. As Fothergills pushed forward and took chances Taylor killed them off with a goal on the break and although Law did finally pull one back Fothergills hopes ended when referee Ryan Bromfield pointed to the spot and Thornsby converted from twelve yards.

The most fascinating contest of all lies in the bottom half of the Premier Division as Asia’s third successive league victory sees them up to fourth in the table and their latest victims, FC Bury Town, sink to the bottom. A good game on a poor surface saw an error by the home keeper gift Asia a fourteenth minute lead but then it was sustained Bury pressure until they were caught out by a long ball forward and the visitors doubled their advantage ten minutes before the break. Bury dominated the second period and reduced the arrears on the hour but Asia held firm to earn three more valuable league points.

Whitworth Valley gained a modicum of revenge for their six goal thrashing at Walsden Rec earlier in the season with a 3-1 win that sees them move off the foot of the table and leap frog Jacks House into the bargain. Only Jacks second home defeat of the season but without even a single point on the road they now find themselves in serious danger of an immediate return to the first division.