Rochdale Online Alliance League Round Up

The final resolution of the intricacies of a plot is often referred to as the denouement, and one could have asked for nothing more dramatic than the final games of the ROAFL season in both the LRO Premier and Matterson Cranes First Divisions in the past week.

The net result of no less than 158 matches was one hundred and eighty minutes of football that would decide the champions in both divisions.

At Rawstron Street on Cup Finals Day Balderstone were the visitors, needing a win to secure a second successive promotion, but they were up against a Whitworth Valley 2nds side that themselves needed three points to secure their Division One status for another season.

In a fiercely contested and tight encounter two goals from Danny Kershaw and one from Daniel Atkinson secured the title for Balderstone, as Joe Greenwood’s lone reply for Valley was not enough to avoid a fifth straight league defeat and the bitter pill of relegation.

Four days later Wardle travelled up the road to Whittles Park to face the new President’s Cup holders Fothergill & Whittles, just ninety minutes and three points away from overtaking season long leaders Weavers at the death to clinch the Premier Division title.

Any pre match nerves were settled inside the first quarter hour as good work down the right hand side by Darren Smith resulted in his low ball across the edge of the area being driven first time low into the bottom corner of Whitelaw’s goal by Ryan Hill. One became two within minutes as Smith beat the offside trap and showed typical composure in rounding Whitelaw to make it two. Understandably an under strength Fothergills side were finding it difficult to motivate themselves and Smith added two more goals from close range to seal the title before half time.

A slightly more competitive second period saw Fothergills leading scorer Andy Law add another to his season’s tally before Smith netted his fourth, and Wardle’s fifth, of the game to cue wild and well deserved celebrations on the final whistle.

Whilst there are one or two from both ends of the Premier Division table who will point to the “doubtful series of occurrences” interpretation of the term denouement there can be no denying manager Ross Turner’s personal reward for the enthusiasm and ambition he has shown in his final season as Wardle manager.

A brief period of respite now for all concerned before the AGM which will take place at Rochdale Catholic Club at 6.45pm on Thursday 28th June, by which time it should be known if any teams have submitted to the ever increasing demands placed on those who do their utmost to keep local Saturday afternoon football alive and, conversely, how many new teams will be joining the ROAFL for Season 2012-13.