Rochdale Online Alliance Football League Report

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

Week two of the Rochdale Online Alliance Football League saw plenty of goals in the Sartori Sharpening Services Premier Division - no less than forty in just four games.

Fothergills and Woodbank led the way with seven each in victories over Sudden and Falcon respectively, whilst the closest game saw Rochdale Sacred Heart finally edge yet another “odd goal in x game”, with a 5-4 away win at Balderstone, and this after being two down early on. Holt 3 and Patel 2 were the Hearts’ match winners with Faulkner 3 and Kirby replying for Balderstone.

White Lion have switched base to Bowlee and faced a promoted Rochdale Asia side full of confidence after their opening day victory at Walsden. Both teams began cautiously with Whalley’s opener for Lion cancelled out by Omar Malik.

Stand in manager Ste Cass introduced fresh legs for the home side at the start of the second half and almost from the kick off Lion substitute Campbell’s pacy run down the right ended with a low cross converted by Howe. The visitors hit back quickly as Malik’s second goal was followed by one from Alwarfali to give them the lead for the first time.

Back came Lion with an equaliser from Lee and then a tremendous twenty five yard volley from Harling before tempers flared, and Asia were reduced to ten men before conceding a penalty converted by Murray. Howe’s second goal in the dying moments was the “icing on the cake”, leaving the Lion management confident that their young side could be the team to watch this season.

Fothergills 2nds and Mighty Dragons maintained their one hundred percent records in the Matthew Montgomery & Co First Division with wins over Hargreaves and F&W Rovers respectively. All four Fothergill’s goals were scored by Ryan Healey whilst Dragons’ four were shared equally by Bailey and Cahill.

Elsewhere, Thorley, Jennings and Ogden were on the scoresheet as Chadderton Park edged out newly formed Falcon 2nds at Littleborough SC, and a Dillon Collier hat trick embroidered Wardle OB’s comfortable victory over Horse & Farrier at Matthew Moss.