Rochdale Online Alliance League Round Up

President’s Cup finalists Fothergill & Whittles have blown the LRO Insurance Premier Division title race wide open with their 2-0 midweek home win over leaders Weavers at Whittles Park. A missed penalty from Nicky Hands cost his side dear and they must now win against the same opponents on Saturday to take the title race through to the last remaining fixture (Wardle v Fothergills) on the 16 May.

Ironically, Fothergills manager Martin Nuttall had been reflecting on his much improved side’s lack of self belief after they had been beaten 4-1 at Wardle just four days earlier. After a game that in truth was ruined as a spectacle by the strong wind Martin felt his side did not really believe they had it in them to overcome the two sides that have dominated league honours in the ROAFL for the past decade. How Weavers must wish Martin’s side hadn’t proved their boss wrong!

At the other end of the table Jacks House picked up their first away point of the season with a 3-3 draw at Whitworth Valley, a single point that condemns FC Bury Town to relegation after their first season in the league.

This was a game Valley should have won comfortably but had to come from behind twice to rescue a point. The point for Jacks, allied to Valley’s 3-0 away win at Asia last Saturday, means the Seedfield outfit finish bottom irrespective now of the outcome of their final league game, ironically against Jacks House, next Wednesday evening.

Whitworth Valley 2nds joined the growing list of clubs expressing their concern over the current rules regarding player eligibility as their hopes of avoiding relegation from the Matterson Cranes Division 1 took a possibly mortal blow in the form of a heavy home defeat to Castleton. The matter will be considered by the Management Committee but Valley still need three points from their remaining two games after three successive defeats…and those two games are against second placed Wardle 2nds and champions elect Balderstone.

Balderstone’s other game is against Castleton next Wednesday evening and two points from those two games will see them promoted as champions.

Finally the fat lady can sing up in the hills as Moorcock’s promotion from the Matthew Montgomery & Co Division 2 was confirmed statistically with an 8-2 home win over Woodbank.

The division’s worst kept secret was actually revealed three days earlier after Wardle 3rds were thrashed by Fothergill & Whittles 3rds at Rakewood and so it is the new boys who have underlined their managements’ promises on the pitch throughout the season.

A reminder that the finals of the Mitchell & Alletson Memorial Trophy and the President’s Cup take place at the home of Heywood St James FC on Saturday the 12 May with kick off times of 1pm and 4pm respectively and a full preview of both finals will appear in the next report.