Rochdale Online Alliance Football League Report

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

With Sartori Sharpening Services Premier Division leaders Woodbank’s home game against Rochdale Asia the only game to get a red card from the weather gods, Fothergill & Whittles travelled to Bowlee to take on White Lion knowing a win would narrow the gap at the top to just four points.

Unbeaten to date, bar their County Cup exit, and with fifty one goals in just eight domestic games, Nick Sunderland’s title chasers faced a White Lion side that had slipped to a shock Chairman’s Cup defeat just seven days previously.

However, football is no respecter of reputation and, after Fothergill had struck the woodwork in the fifteenth minute, Francis Lee headed Lion into the lead from a well worked free kick routine to give the home side a narrow half time advantage.

Lion manager Mark Horner made a change by introducing Elliot Whalley, which gave his side that crucial element of pace up front, and Harry King coolly added a second after being played through the visitor’s back line. Lee added a third, and his second of the afternoon, before departing for work trusting that he and his team mates had done enough to upset the form book, and so it proved as late goals from Whalley himself and Jamie Lord wrapped up a comprehensive win for a White Lion side that is destined on this form to have a big say in the title race.

With the points adjustment from the Woodbank versus Sudden game now confirmed Fothergill find themselves nine points behind Woodbank with two games in hand and two meetings between the sides to come in the second half of the season.

Rochdale Sacred Heart took full advantage of White Lion’s fine win to move back into second place after an excellent 4-0 home win over Sudden.

An improved performance from Balderstone suggests their first league points of the season may be not too far away, even though two late Falcon goals condemned them to an ninth successive defeat in all competitions.

The top two in the Matthew Montgomery & Co First Division met at Whittles Park and it was leaders Mighty Dragons who prevailed to open up a three point gap over Fothergill & Whittles 2nds with a game in hand.

Danny Wilds opened the scoring for the leaders after just three minutes but the home side were level in five thanks to a smart finish from Hudson.

The opening exchanges had been ultra competitive on the heavy playing surface, with little love lost between the sides, and Dragons were left berating their own linesman after Chris Holbrook was played through to put Fothergills in front on twelve minutes.

Despite the loss of the influential Andy Law through an early injury Fothergill continued to take the game to a Dragons side that appeared more intent on questioning each and every decision made by the match official, and when Fitton made it 3-1 after another brave and correct decision from the linesman allowed him to go on and slot the ball past Attwood, it looked like Dragons were facing their first defeat of the season to date.

However, the first of two crucial incidents occurred on the stroke of half time as Cahill pounced on a slip by a Fothergill defender inside the box to fire past Whitelaw before doing his best to add to his caution for dissent as the half time whistle sounded seconds later.

The home side certainly deserved their half time advantage but the second half saw Dragons enjoying much more possession, and more significant territorial advantage, before the turning point of the game arrived on seventy minutes. A sharp break from the back saw Holbrook played through on goal and, after drawing Attwood from goal and then neatly sidestepping him, a fourth home goal appeared inevitable only for Holbrook to fire over with the goal at his mercy.

To compound their misfortune Fothergill then contrived to get themselves into a tangle at the back and Wilds pounced to level matters with thirteen minutes to go before completing his hat trick just three minutes later to give his side the lead again.

A late spell of home pressure saw them gain five consecutive corners, all to no avail as a slip by Whitelaw in the final minute gifted Wilds his fourth goal of the afternoon to seal the win for Wayne Attwood’s side.

Experienced and neutral observers of the game agreed that Dragons had deserved the win overall, as their greater threat going forward was a significant factor in the match, but they were ill disciplined at times and arguably a touch fortunate to complete the game with a full complement still on the pitch, a view their management was quick to acknowledge after the game.

Rochdale Galaxy remain third, and on the heels of the top two, after a routine 8-1 home win over struggling Falcon 2nds at Firgrove.

Wardle OB recorded their fifth league win of an encouraging season for them as Dewhurst 2 and Kay gave them a 3-1 away win at F&W Rovers.

Chadderton Park are another side enjoying their football this season and Ogden 3, Jennings 2, Eastwood 2, Hart and Cole scored the goals that overcame Horse & Farrier at Matthew Moss to create a clear gap between the top half of the table and the bottom.