Rochdale Online Alliance Football League Report

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

Whitworth Valley earned a President’s Cup semi final against either Fothergill & Whittles or Sudden after their last eight victory over Woodbank at Fearns last Saturday. Proctor, Foster and McDowell scored for Valley as they made it two wins out of two on their new artificial home for the month of March.

Meanwhile, both of their title rivals added three more valuable points, and ticked off another game, in the race for the Sartori Sharpening Services title.

Leaders Balderstone survived a testing trip to the confines of Walsden Rec as goals from Feeney, Kershaw and Sands gave them the win by the odd goal in five.

FC Bury Town gained a surprisingly comfortable home win over King William IV, McBride (2), Fielding, Jebb, Holmes and Awad firing them to a 6-2 win at Derby High School.

Balderstone (41 points from 17 games) go to Woodbank this weekend and have still games against King William IV (H) and Fothergill & Whittles (A) while Bury (39 points from 16 games) have yet to host Oldham Boro and travel to Fothergill & Whittles, King William IV and, perhaps crucially, Whitworth Valley. Any slip from either could still let Valley in as six of their eight remaining games are at home, including that Bury game on Saturday 26 April.

In the Matthew Montgomery & Co First Division leaders Sudden secured an important win over third placed Rochdale Asia at Firgrove in a game that failed to live up to expectation.

Even though it was the only game played that day at Firgrove the chosen pitch was the old mill side one, the smallest of them all, and that contributed to a stilted and aggressive encounter in which Asia fell well short of their season’s best and Sudden ran out comfortable and worthy winners.

The first ten minutes were misleadingly open and entertaining and Sudden were soon in front with a goal of real quality from Danny Holmes. A ball in from the left was cushioned into Holmes’ path by McKenzie and he picked his spot from sixteen yards.

Asia quickly got themselves back in the game with an equaliser from Rushton but then went to sleep from a set piece allowing Needham to head home at the back post.

Both sides then decided they preferred to argue with anyone willing to listen and two mass confrontations led to the match official warning both captains the game would be abandoned in the event of a further such incident.

Whilst that warning seemed to settle the tempers it didn’t do much for the quality of football with Sudden dominating possession and Asia keeping a foothold in the game with some resolute defending.

The decisive goal had been coming for some time and finally McKenzie got the goal his overall display deserved.

Holmes went round the keeper to make it four in the last minute.

The win appears to have ended Rochdale Asia’s title hopes, and Sudden’s home clash with second placed Fothergill & Whittles 2nds a week on Saturday may well determine who ends up on top come May; though both sides have games against a Whitworth Valley 2nds side that may yet have a significant voice in the final outcome.

In the day’s other two Division One games there was more frustration for winless Horse & Farrier as they were edged out by the odd goal in five by Rochdale Galaxy.

Chadderton Park picked up a third win in four as Ogden (2) and Limmack netted in a 3-1 home win over Syke.