ROAFL Report

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

At the fifteenth time of asking Horse & Farrier earned their first points of the season in the ROAFL with a fully deserved 5-3 home win over Wardle 3rds at Firgrove.

Farrier is a club that engender the true spirit of amateur football, never failing a fixture even though they win very few of them, playing the game the right way on the field and conducting themselves immaculately off it. A recent influx of young blood has regenerated the club at a time when they did appear likely to fold and this win bodes well for the remainder of the season and beyond.

Osborne 2, Whitehead, Varty and Stone scored the goals that proved too much for Wardle, though they will be left rueing opportunities spurned at 2-1 and 3-2.

At the top of the Matthew Montgomery & Co Second Division a third defeat in four for White Lion, and a second successive league defeat at Nuttall Park, as leaders Woodbank moved seven points clear with a narrow 4-3 win thanks to goals from Frost 2, McDonald and Holt.

The win also benefits third placed Sudden, whose game was called off, as they are now level on games played as well as points with Lion and it looks like three for two at the top despite AFC Royton’s home win over Fothergill & Whittles 3rds. 

A crucial encounter in the contest for second place in the Sartori Sharpening Services Premier Division saw Fothergill & Whittles edge a tight game at Goshen against in form FC Bury Town. With Lord outstanding in midfield the visitors took the points courtesy of a second half brace from Chris Holbrook, and were further buoyed by the successful return to first team action of Billy Wood.

A John Davenport penalty in the last minute was all Bury had to show for their efforts and they drop below Balderstone following the latter’s emphatic trouncing of Moorcock at Firgrove.

Moorcock were severely hit by absences for various different reasons and knew they were on “Mission Impossible” but the defeat sends them into the bottom two following Asia’s 2-0 home win over Whitworth Valley, and from looking likely contenders for second place they find themselves embroiled in a relegation battle in the final weeks of the season.

Balderstone are now third after their “Taylor made” win – four goals apiece for Jack and James.

At Hopwood Hall a second successive win for resurgent Asia as Shahrukh Khan and Khaser Ahmed claimed the goals that saw off the Valley challenge. Saeed Ahmed’s team are becoming the Wigan of the ROAFL and if they can sort out September to February next season they could well find themselves challenging at the right end of the table.

Only the one game played in the Matterson Cranes First Division and a defeat that increases the threat of relegation for bottom club Hargreaves as they were beaten at Greenvale in spite of goals from Cowan 2, Moth and Kay.

Fothergill & Whittles 2nds win sees them move three points clear of the drop zone though Balderstone 2nds do have a game in hand.