Rochdale Online Alliance Football League Report

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

Two narrow victories in five days for Whitworth Valley mean that the race for the Sartori Sharpening Services Premier Division title goes to the final day of the season on Saturday 3 May.

Valley’s 2-1 wins over Rochdale Sacred Heart and Fothergill & Whittles see them close to within two points of Balderstone, and three of FC Bury Town, with a game in hand on the leaders, whose remaining game is at Valley on that last Saturday.

Before then, Valley host Woodbank and Balderstone face Fothergills away and King William IV at home on the 3 May.

Far too close to call, and a three way play off for the title remains an intriguing possibility, if a logistical nightmare for the fixtures’ secretary, at the end of the most closely fought title race for years.

Valley’s win at Fothergills was a tense nervy affair as the home side are on their best run of the season to date, and were in front deservedly after half an hour with a consummate finish from Platt after he had sprung Valley’s offside trap.

With Fothergills dominating possession, and playing the ball out from the back in their trademark style, Valley were on the back foot for much of the opening half, but a lapse in concentration allowed Marshall space on the right hand side of the Fothergills’ box and he found the bottom left hand corner of the net with a powerful yet controlled half volley on thirty six minutes.

Incredibly, Valley were in front just ninety seconds later and it was a gift for them as the home defence failed to see a hopeful long ball forward out of play and Foster pounced to knock the ball into an empty net.

The double set back rocked Fothergills, but they re-grouped and played their part in an open and entertaining second half played in an excellent spirit, but neither side could convert the half chances that came their way and John Leyland’s team secured another valuable three points from their seventh consecutive league win.

In the Matthew Montgomery & Co First Division things are rather more clear cut as leaders Fothergill & Whittles 2nds require just two points from their three remaining games to clinch the title. Two more thumping wins, over Balderstone 2nds and Syke, saw them reach one hundred and fifty goals for the season, and they still have a President’s Cup final to look forward to on Saturday 10 May.

The title is in reach partly also as the result of an excellent Rochdale Asia performance at Sudden as two goals each from Rushton and Malik inflicted only a third league defeat of the season on the home side.

Sudden, however, had a modicum of revenge with a narrow midweek win over Whitworth Valley 2nds that ensures second place at least, and also ends Rochdale Asia’s own hopes of automatic promotion.

Other than Balderstone’s vital trip to Whittles Park, this weekend attention turns to the cup, with Whitworth Valley and Sudden meeting in the second President’s Cup semi final, while Hargreaves and Mighty Dragons contest the remaining Alletson & Mitchell Memorial Trophy last four tie.

Sudden will be hoping to make it an all first division final, with Fothergill & Whittles 2nds awaiting the winners, whilst Hargreaves must be favourites to overcome Dragons based on their two comprehensive league wins against Wayne Attwood’s team this season. However, Dragons are a much improved outfit of late, with four wins in their last five league games, and the right to face Rochdale Asia in the final on Friday 16 May will no doubt be fiercely contested.