Alletson & Mitchell Memorial Trophy Final: Rochdale Asia 3 - 2 Balderstone

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

Rochdale Asia claimed the first silverware of the Rochdale Online Alliance Football League season with a narrow 3-2 victory over Balderstone in Good Friday’s Alletson & Mitchell Memorial Trophy Final at Fox Park.

The early exchanges were somewhat muted as both sides looked to settle, and the game’s first real opportunity fell to Balderstone as Luke Hancock’s low shot was comfortably held by Jonathan Perez.

Play immediately switched to the opposite end and Josh Chaplin made the first in a string of outstanding saves as he blocked Zaheer Hussain’s goal bound effort with his feet.

Both sides were seeing plenty of the ball, but Asia were gradually pushing Balderstone back, and the opening goal came from the most expected source as Asia’s leading scorer Omar Malik rifled home a low shot from close range.

The goal was quickly followed by more Asia pressure as Qadir Mahmood had his shot turned away by Chaplin and Zaheer curled his attempt narrowly over just moments later.

Asia were now in full flow and Jason Baron had to be at his best both individually and in marshalling his back line to prevent further early damage. B

Balderstone were finding outlets out wide, with Jake Warburton finding plenty of space on the left hand side, and they really should have levelled matters on the half hour mark as Warburton cut in from the left and played the ball across the face of goal to the incoming Danny Gills, but he scuffed a tame shot wide of the far post and the opportunity was gone.

As so often happens a miss at one end was compounded by a goal at the other as Malik curled a twenty yard free kick past a helpless Chaplin and it was 2-0 to an Asia side beginning to dominate possession.

Balderstone’s semi final hat trick hero Matt Nokes had seen little of the ball but when the chance came he literally took it with both feet. More good work from Gills down the right saw his cut back fall to Nokes and he controlled it with his left before lifting it cleverly over the onrushing Perez with his right.

The goal heralded a spell of possession for Balderstone as half time approached with Ste Faulkner shooting well wide and Tom O’Rourke firing over from a free kick gained in an advantageous position for his side.

Aiden Shah headed clear as Balderstone pressed for an equaliser but the game’s pivotal moment came as referee Ryan Bromfield was about to blow for the half time interval.

As Asia gained midfield possession and pushed forward, Bromfield played an excellent advantage as Alwarfarli was crudely brought down and allowed Malik to collect the loose ball and drive a low shot beyond Chaplin to complete his hat trick with the very last kick of the half.

With many neutral observers of the opinion that Asia would now go on to win the final comfortably, Balderstone emerged determined to make a game of it.

Malik latched on to a weak back pass and went round Chaplin but, with the goal gaping, went to ground. Neither the referee nor his assistant on the near side saw contact that warranted a penalty kick and allowed to play to continue.

Asia, to their credit, accepted the decision and got on with the game, and a period of dominance followed, which earned Chaplin his eventual man-of-the-match award as he kept his side in the contest.

Kashif Rafiq saw his dipping twenty yard shot brilliantly tipped on to the bar by Chaplin and then Alwarfarli, Deon Rhodes and substitute Michael Rushton were all denied in quick succession, before Asad Mahmood hit the bar following yet another block from Chaplin.

Tempers flared briefly as substitute Mohammed Imran was booked and, when a second half goal finally arrived, it was to Balderstone with a little over ten minutes to play. Brad Kelly was the scorer from close range following a scramble in the Asia box, but ultimately all it succeeded in achieving was the fraying of the Asia management’s nerves for the remaining period of the game.

Karl Warburton was booked for dissent as Balderstone’s search for an equaliser became increasingly frenetic, and the final whistle brought a compelling but never classic final to an end.

Rochdale Asia captain Aiden Shah received the trophy, and Josh Chaplin his man-of-the-match-award from the League’s guest, Nigel Alletson, in the clubhouse following the game.