Mighty Dragons lift Alletson & Mitchell Memorial Trophy

Mighty Dragons at the Alletson & Mitchell Memorial Trophy

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Mighty Dragons underlined their much improved league form of late in the Rochdale Online Alliance League by lifting the Alletson & Mitchell Memorial Trophy last Friday evening at Mayfield Sports Centre with a clear cut victory over favourites Rochdale Asia.

Dragons are in their first season of open age football and after a difficult start have really turned their results around in the latter half of the season.

On a dry sunny evening Dragons won the toss and should have taken a third minute lead when a long ball found its way through to Danny Jones twelve yards from goal with Asia players stopping in anticipation of an offside flag that was not forthcoming. Jones also thought he was offside and his hesitation allowed Lee O’Neill in the Asia goal to come out and smother the ball.

Play switched quickly to the opposite end of the field and when Omar Malik’s free kick was pushed out by Wayne Attwood in the Dragons' goal Zaheer Hussain snatched at a gilt edged opportunity and fired high over the bar.

The game was open, with both defences out of sync, and the first goal duly arrived in  the seventh minute. Dragons had a free kick on the left hand edge of the box and Tom Costin’s innocuous ball into the box was fumbled over his own head and into the net by the unfortunate O’Neill.

O’Neill was certainly involved in the action as he made an excellent stop with his feet when Dragons leading scorer Mike Cahill was through on the goal, but then replicated his earlier error by mishandling the resultant corner which was cleared off the line, much to his relief.

Malik was clear down the left hand channel but shot straight at Attwood as Asia searched for an equaliser, and the game’s first caution came as Steve Hamlett caught Zaheer Hussain with a late challenge.

Asia were looking very square at the back and they were two down in the twenty second minute. Dragons’ Andy Carroll controlled a clearance before pushing forward into the Asia half and playing the ball out wide left to Cahill whose ball towards the back post was met on the run by Jones and his header flashed past O’Neill before he could react.

With Asia’s hopes of silverware dwindling Dragons had a golden opportunity to make it three after just half an hour. Cahill was through on goal again only to be brought down by O’Neill. Cahill picked himself up only to miss from the spot as his weak shot to the keeper’s right was saved by O’Neill. However, referee John Cunningham ordered a retake for encroachment, much to Asia’s fury with Malik and Zaheer Hussain cautioned for dissent. Cahill decided to go to the opposite side but unfortunately for him so did O’Neill and the retake was saved as well.

With the temperature rising Malik was fortunate to avoid a second caution after a late challenge on Mikey Armstrong and Craig Bailey brought down Mohammad Imran but Asia wasted the free kick.

As the half drew to a close Asia enjoyed their best spell of the game as first Asad Mahmood produced a terrific run down the right before shooting into the side netting from an acute angle, and then Michael Rushton appeared to be brought down in the box only for play to be recalled for a foul by Rushton in the build up, which led to him being the fourth player cautioned.

Malik then played a great ball in which Rushton, on the stretch, could only divert narrowly wide of the post, before Armstrong relieved some of the pressure on Dragons with a speculative effort from distance that floated wide with O’Neill caught off his line.

A frenetic half for the officials ended with two more cautions, Imran for dissent, and Dragons’ Bailey for catching Kashif Rafiq with his elbow, and the half time whistle came at a very diplomatic time for both sides.

Asia really should have pulled a goal back straight from the resumption with Malik clean through, only to be thwarted by the feet of Attwood, and Zaheer Hussain had a free header from the resultant corner but headed wastefully wide.

With Asia enjoying the majority of early second half possession Attwood saved well from Rushton and Hussain put another free header wide from the corner.

And how Asia were made to pay for those missed chances as Dragons claimed the crucial third goal. As the ball broke loose just outside the Asia box to Cahill, he controlled it before placing the deftest of chips over O’Neill and into the top right hand corner to give his side a three goal advantage.

Asia’s response was to introduce Tanveer Aslam and Mohammed Zaman to the action while Dragons made a change of their own bringing on Aaron Holleran.

A sustained spell of Asia ensued as Dragons sat deeper, looking to protect their lead and hit Asia on the break.

Rushton’s low shot was well saved by Attwood before the striker shot powerfully over from distance.

Zaman was just too high with a free kick from distance.

Malik was foiled yet again by Attwood and the same player then headed wide of an open goal after a rare misjudgement by the Dragons' keeper.

With Asia making full use of the roll on roll off substitution rule Dragons replaced Armstrong with Southgate, much to the former’s annoyance, but try as they might there was just no end product for Asia with Attwood capping his man-of-the-match performance with late saves from Rushton, Nasir Ali and Malik.

Holleran shot wide and O’Neill saved from Jones as Dragons looked to add a fourth right at the end as chances continued to accrue until the final whistle, which heralded scenes of jubilation as Dragons celebrated a fully deserved victory.

After the game Life Vice President Steve Brophy and Mary Grenier, the partner of the league’s late President, Frank Alletson, presented the A&M Memorial Trophy to Mighty Dragons and the Man-of-the-Match Award to their goalkeeper Wayne Attwood, whilst Rochdale Asia received their runners up medals.

The Sartori Sharpening Services Premier Division presentation also took place, and FC Bury Town manager Immi Younis collected the runners up medals following his team’s last game victory at Whitworth Valley that earned them second place at the expense of their hosts.