Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

White Lion’s hopes of going to the top of the Sartori Sharpening Services Premier Division for the first time this season were ended in a tight game at Falcon last Saturday, and their disappointment was compounded by Walsden’s win over Rochdale Sacred Heart that moved them within two points of Lion with two games in hand.

For once Falcon were able to field an all but full strength team against the title chasers and they were clearly motivated for a game played on the compact pitch at Littleborough Sports Centre.

Lion had arrived with little time to spare and were clearly unsettled in the opening minutes as Falcon came at them from the first whistle. With space at a premium tempers were soon fraying and two confrontations in the opening five minutes saw both captains called together and instructed to calm their respective teams down.

The warning appeared to have the desired effect and Falcon took the lead through Bostock after nine minutes, and Kyle Jackson doubled that lead just five minutes later.

Lion were forced to regroup and did so to good effect as they pushed forward for the remainder of the half, but poor finishing was to frustrate them as much as Caton in the Falcon goal as he made an unbelievable save on his near post before diving at the feet of Wolstenholme to prevent the visitors from getting back into the game before the break.

With the playing surface better than it has been for some seasons now both teams were able to knock the ball around, and Lion came out knowing that a two goal deficit was by no means insurmountable given the number of chances they had created in that first forty five minutes. However, their hopes were dealt a hammer blow just seven minutes into the second period as Kyle Jackson was left on his own to pick up a loose ball down the left hand channel and fire decisively past McNulty to put Falcon three ahead.

A quick response was vital and it came when a good run from King was ended by an ill advised challenge in the area allowing Allesandra to reduce the arrears from the spot.

Seven minutes later Harling claimed Lion’s second goal and it was game on with just under half an hour to play.

The game was end-to-end with the respective captains, Liam Jackson and Ste Cass, involved in a fascinating personal battle to secure midfield possession, and drive their respective sides forward.

Caton continued to defy the visitors with two more quite outstanding saves as Lion looked to claim at least a point to further their title ambitions.

Those ambitions were to be dealt a double blow late on as a needlessly conceded free kick led to Bostock being allowed to ghost in and head home Falcon’s fourth goal.

McNulty was dismissed for foul and abusive language towards spectators and the referee inside the final ten minutes.

Wolstenholme pulled another goal back for Lion in time added on but it was too little too late for his side, and they need to take a long hard look at their attitude if they are to secure the points they need from their remaining five games, in particular, the home and away games they face against the division’s form team, Sudden.