Rochdale Online Alliance Football League Report

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

One certainty towards the end of a Rochdale Online Alliance Football League season full of variables is that if FC Bury Town win their last three league games they will be crowned Sartori Sharpening Services Premier Division Champions for 2013-14.

Oldham Boro’s failure to fulfil the fixture last Saturday moves Bury to within nine points of a first title though Whitworth Valley, and especially Balderstone, are not prepared to make it any easier for them.

Valley were predictably comfortable winners over relegated Star Athletic at Fearns with goals from Pilling (2), Foster (2), Chadwick and Hewitt while Balderstone registered an impressive win on the road at Woodbank.

Heywood, Kelly and McCarroll were the scorers as Balderstone inflicted only the home side’s second defeat at Nuttall Park this season.

At the other end of the table Fothergill & Whittles secured a vital away win at White Lion to bring Rochdale Sacred Heart within their sights as they battle on to avoid what would be a shock relegation after seasons of patient planning, team building and relative success.

Morton and Law scored the goals that earned a narrow 2-1 win at Firgrove.

Walsden moved up to fourth after a 4-1 home win over King William IV.

Halstead gave the visitors an eleventh minute lead after good work by Jackson but Walsden were level within three minutes when Hanson’s free kick evaded the reach of Emmott in the King William goal.

Marrow headed the home side ahead from another set piece as play became fragmented due to a series of niggles and fouls which finally came to a head with the dismissal of Halstead as tempers flared either side of the interval.

As the game settled both sides had opportunities before the crucial next goal came from Marrow as he helped yet another free kick past Emmott with the away side asking for an infringement.

Brierley added a fourth to complete a scoreline that in truth was harsh on King William and certainly did not reflect the closeness and competitive nature of the game.

The Matthew Montgomery & Co Division One top two, Sudden and Fothergill & Whittles 2nds, warmed up for this Saturday’s absolutely crucial clash at Matthew Moss with comfortable home wins amidst a trio of hat tricks.

The division’s top scorer, Andrew White, scored all three of Fothergill’s goals in a 3-1 win over improving Chadderton Park.

Danny Holmes (4), James Tolson (3) and Fitz McKenzie (2) made up Suddden’s nine against Horse & Farrier.

Goals from Rushton and Malik earned Rochdale Asia a 2-1 win at Syke to keep them on the tails of the top two.

Whitworth Valley 2nds challenge is over after a second successive 3-1 home defeat, this time to Hargreaves whose scorers were Bowe, Berry and Cowan.

F&W Rovers remain fourth with a 5-2 win over Rochdale Galaxy and fourth is where they may well finish though Hargreaves are six points behind with five games in hand and the two have yet to play each other.

The two pivotal games this Saturday see FC Bury Town travel to Kingsway Sports Centre to face King William IV in the top division and the aforementioned, first versus second, Division One clash at Matthew Moss, where victory for either side will give them a distinct advantage in the race for the title, with a draw favouring Fothergills 2nds who are seven points behind Sudden but with three games in hand.