Rochdale Online Alliance Football League Report

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

As the weather relented, leaders FC Bury Town extended their lead at the top of the Sartori Sharpening Services Premier Division to four points with a 3-1 home win over Walsden C&FC in a feisty affair at Derby High School. Pyrah 2 and Awad with the goals for the leaders with Brown on the mark for Walsden.

Second played third as Balderstone hosted Oldham Boro and the ensuing ninety minutes saw a game fit to grace any amateur league in the county.

Both sides kept the ball on the floor and played it to feet at pace, with fluid movement from players off the ball, and it was something of a surprise that the first half ended goalless.

With most of Balderstone’s play orchestrated by the outstanding Lee Feeney in midfield, the home side had chances to build a valuable lead and it looked like they might rue those missed opportunities as Carey and Tobin struck for Boro inside the opening fifteen minutes of the second half.

Balderstone needed to get back in to the game quickly and did so within two minutes of Tobin’s goal as an innocuous looking free kick from Murray was missed by the Boro keeper under pressure from Butterworth.

The game continued to swing from end-to-end and the tireless Butterworth deservedly levelled matters on seventy two minutes.

Balderstone really pushed on in the closing stages but this young Boro side are a resilient outfit and they held on to secure a valuable point in the context of the league table.

Elsewhere, Woodbank acquired their third win of the season as an Anthony Whitehouse goal was enough to see off White Lion at Nuttall Park.

Star Athletic’s struggles in front of goal, just one goal in four games now, saw them well beaten by Whitworth Valley.

Just above Star are Rochdale Sacred Heart, whose winless run was extended by King William IV at Firgrove. Jackson 2, Bradley and Newall secured the win that keeps them fourth. For Hearts this was the third single goal defeat in the last four games that means they find themselves in a league position that does not reflect the ability of the side or the quality of the football they have been playing.

The day’s shock result came at Firgrove in the Matthew Montgomery & Co First Division as Fothergill & Whittles 2nds unblemished league record was shattered by goals from the Omars, Rashid and Malik, as Rochdale Asia moved almost unnoticed above Balderstone 2nds into third place in the table with games in hand on leaders Sudden.

Two goals from Tony Knight and one from Danny Whitworth gave Sudden a 3-1 home win over Balderstone 2nds.

A Will Hoyle double kept Whitwoth Valley 2nds in fifth with a 2-1 home win over Syke.

Wardle OB moved into mid table security with a narrow away win at struggling Rochdale Galaxy.

F&W Rovers shared the points with Chadderton Park at Greenvale.

All of which means Hargreaves are the last remaining unbeaten side in the league after a comfortable 4-0 away win against Mighty Dragons. Kay 2, Berry and Gaskell on the scoresheet for the Bury side.