ROAFL report

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

Conversations with well known and respected amateur footballers of days gone by almost inevitably will include reminiscences of Saturday away days in the LFA Amateur Cup or Shield, when trips to the unforgiving plains of Rivington or the wildlands of Liverpool will be fondly remembered both for encounters on the field and celebrations, or otherwise, in the local hostelries well into the evening. In the late 80s and 90s Rochdale St Clements seemed to have been given almost an annual pass to Aigburth (Peoples Hall) in Liverpool whilst the likes of Milton, Rochdale Sacred Heart and Whitworth Valley had much success in the far flung corners of the county from Southport in the North to Wythenshawe in the South.

In more recent times clubs have been restricted to their respective counties and so the Liverpool and Manchester sides can no longer compete against our local teams which, whilst making the competition eminently more winnable, has also removed much of the magic of “playing in Europe”.

Whilst Clements were living up to their billing as one of the favourites for the competition this season our ROAFL teams met with mixed success.

Newcomers Westdene maintained their excellent start to the season with a 5-2 home win over Upholland from Wigan and Balderstone gave due notice that their September sabbatical may well have had the desired effect as they thrashed Blackburn Combination outfit Rishton United by six goals to one at Matthew Moss.

At Whittles Park Fothergills dominated the opening half hour of their clash with LAL Premier Division outfit Old Mancunians but were denied by a string of outstanding saves from the Mancs keeper.

With inspirational skipper Sean Doyle off the field receiving treatment for a broken nose Mancs took the lead and then doubled it shortly after Platt had again been denied by the visitors’ keeper.

Visibly deflated the game was then won and lost as Mancs netted twice more in quick succession to go into the break 4-0 up after being outplayed for seventy per cent of the half.

The second half was different story same scoreline as Mancs slipped into cruise control and dominated the game with Fothergills keeper Duncan Whitelaw on overtime to keep it to eight in the end, whilst Wardle’s high brow afternoon ended with a lesson from the penalty spot as they went out on penalties to Ormskirk Green Town at Edge Hill University.

In domestic matters Rochdale Asia remain rooted to the foot of the Sartori Sharpening Services Premier Division after yet another good performance ended in narrow defeat, this time to Asia by three goals to two. Two more goals from Mohammed Omar Malik were not enough in a competitive yet sporting encounter well refereed by Tim Buckley.

Sazadul Haque, Zaid Alshuaid and Mohammed Rizwan Khan netted the goals that gave Asia their first win of the season, whilst Whitworth Valley put a dint in Moorcock’s good start with a 4-1 win at Rawston Street.

In the Matthew Montgomery & Co Second Division Woodbank are the new leaders following their 6-2 home win at Nuttall Park against Horse & Farrier.

Somewhat out on a geographical limb Woodbank are a friendly club that have had their fair share of on field tribulations in the past couple of seasons, but last season to an extent, and most certainly this season to date, they look like putting an end to those hard times.

Taylor, Havens, Manifold, McDonald, Frost and Hancock were the scorers on Saturday and they look well set to challenge for honours in league and cup this time round.

White Lion are the only unbeaten outfit in this division following a 3-3 draw at New Barn against AFC Royton but it’s Fothergills 3rds in second place after goals from Collins 2, Kibble and Clark earned them a home win over Sudden at Greenvale.

Wardle 3rds edged out Rochdale Galaxy in the remaining game in this division whilst the first cup tie of the season saw Wardle 2nds comprehensive winners over Jacks House at Rutherford Park in the Alletson & Mitchell Memorial Trophy.