Rochdale Online Alliance Football League Report

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

Whitworth Valley’s fifth successive league win keeps the pressure on the top two in the Sartori Sharpening Services Premier Division as the Rochdale Online Alliance Football League season moves into its final month.

An Andrew Foster hat trick and another “wonder” goal from Ollie Marshall earned Valley a 4-1 win at Woodbank, a third successive league defeat for the home side that severely dents their hopes of a top four finish.

Valley have no game this weekend, and will no doubt be very interested in leaders FC Bury Town’s visit to Whittles Park to face a recently rejuvenated Fothergill & Whittles side seeking a fourth successive league win of their own to dispel any lingering fears of relegation.

In the only other top flight fixture Oldham Boro completed an encouraging first season in open age football with a 7-3 away win against Rochdale Sacred Heart with goals from Adams (3), Melling, Fletcher, Ogunnuga and Smith, a win that now makes them favourites to finish fourth come May.

For now Fothergill and Whittles 2nds remain in second place behind Sudden in the Matthew Montgomery & Co First Division, but Whitworth Valley 2nds failure to fulfil last Saturday’s game at Fothergills means Nick Sunderland’s team are in effect back at the top of the table with games in hand on all who can still catch them.

Of those teams, Rochdale Asia secured a narrow 1-0 home win over F&W Rovers with a goal from Omar Malik.

Hargreaves were 2-1 winners at Wardle OB, Bowe and Berry with the goals at Firgrove.

In the division’s remaining game nine man Chadderton Park secured all three points at Syke, who helped even the contest out by having a man dismissed. Cole, Grant and Steele secured the points for Chadderton, though both sides no doubt cannot wait for the end of the season given their recent off field problems.

Before that, however, Chadderton have a cup semi final to enjoy as they meet Rochdale Asia in the Alletson & Mitchell Memorial Trophy.

There is a fascinating last four tie in The President’s Cup as Balderstone face a Fothergills 2nds side that have already knocked out two Premier Division sides in Rochdale Sacred Heart and Star Athletic.

Both ties are at Firgrove with a 2.00pm kick off.

There are also key league games in both divisions with the aforementioned Fothergills 1sts v FC Bury Town game and Sudden’s trip to Whitworth Valley 2nds in Division One.