Rochdale Online Alliance Football League Report

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

The trio of emerging front runners for the Sartori Sharpening Services Premier Division title all recorded important victories as a gap begin to open with the season heading for its half way point.

Mulhall and Awad were the scorers for FC Bury Town as they edged out White Lion by the odd goal in three at Firgrove.

A Kieron Bennett hat trick earned Balderstone full points against Rochdale Sacred Heart.

Whitworth Valley did most to open the narrow divide with a 3-0 away win at King William IV, causing the home side to fall back along with Oldham Boro, defeated at Woodbank. Hewitt 2 and Foster were Valley’s scorers whilst McDonald’s strike was enough to see off Boro at Nuttall Park.

There cannot be a more scenic football arena than the park, with its view of the Peel Monument crowning nearby Holcombe Moor, and the passing steam trains reminding the match referee of his younger days. The game itself was almost as sedate, full of passing football and played in absolutely the right spirit. Both sides created chances, particularly in the second half with both keepers making outstanding saves, but in the end Boro were caught playing the ball out from the back and McDonald made the most of the chance to seal three points for his side.

The last time Fothergill & Whittles recorded a victory was 4 September, a winless run extended to six games as Walsden completed a league double over them with a 4-2 win at Whittles Park courtesy of goals from Howley, Gale, Brown and Brierley.

Fothergills have now slipped into the relegation places and need to reverse their recent fortunes at the earliest opportunity as the teams around them are now picking up important points.

In the Matterson Cranes First Division, leaders Sudden march on as another Fitz McKenzie hat trick fired them to a 7-2 home win over Mighty Dragons.

With F&W 2nds out of action, Rochdale Asia underlined their growing title challenge with an Omar Malik hat trick included in a 4-0 win at Wardle OB.

Both hat trick men were totally outshone, however, by the highest individual scoring performance of the season to date, and for many seasons this correspondent would suggest, as Jack Coop helped himself to seven goals in Syke’s comprehensive deconstruction of Horse & Farrier at Redvales.

Elsewhere, Whitworth Valley 2nds continued their good form with a 3-0 home win over F&W Rovers and a Luke Grant goal was enough to extend Rochdale Galaxy’s miserable run of form at Chadderton Park.