Rochdale Online Alliance Football League Report

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

Only four games escaped the half term rain and wind as new leaders emerged unscathed in both divisions of the Rochdale Online Alliance Football League.

FC Bury Town are back on top of the Sartori Sharpening Services Premier Division following a comfortable 3-0 away win at bottom club Star Athletic courtesy of goals from Chisham, Awad and Pyrah.

Meanwhile, Oldham Boro continued their impressive start to the season with a 6-2 home win over a Walsden side that have also been finding their first season feet of late under new management, and White Lion continued their own revival in a goal bonanza at Firgrove.

Lion began their home game against King William IV in a positive mood and were soon two up against opposition that were struggling to find their usual form. In truth Lion should have been further ahead before King William reduced the arrears and those missed chances looked like proving costly as the visitors levelled matters on the half hour and were beginning to look the stronger side. With only one substitute on the line a series of niggling injuries began to disrupt King William, especially a hand injury to their inspirational captain Liam Jackson, and White Lion were back in the ascendancy territorially and on the score sheet by half time.

The second half was end to end with both defences struggling to cope and as soon as Lion extended their lead King William came back at them again. Ultimately, the difference between the sides was the pace and power of the home side’s forwards, epitomized by four goal man of the match Rhys Lewis, and Lion emerged worthy winners to find themselves up to fourth in the table, five points behind the new leaders.

Only one game survived the weather in the Matthew Montgomery & Co First Division and Sudden’s win over Rochdale Galaxy takes them above F&W 2nds at the top of the table.

The scoreline did not reflect Sudden’s struggle to overcome a resilient Galaxy side, and with twenty minutes to play the game was locked at 2-2, but from there Sudden went through the gears to finish comfortable winners with goals from Teasdale 2, McKenzie 2, Needham, Knight, Kean and Iqbal.

Hargreaves take their unbeaten record to the 3G of Kingsway Sports Centre to challenge third placed Balderstone 2nds in the Division 1 game of the day this weekend, while a whole host of games could challenge for that accolade in the top flight; Balderstone at Woodbank arguably the most intriguing of them all, weather permitting, of course.