Rochdale Online Alliance Football League Report

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

The thirty third, and possibly final, season of the Rochdale Online Alliance Football League (ROAFL) began in pleasant autumnal sunshine last Saturday and the opening day’s results would suggest another keenly contested season across both divisions.

Last season’s Division 1 champions, and President’s Cup winners, Fothergill & Whittles 2nds now form a significant part of the first team set up following internal restructuring at the Littleborough based club in the close season, and those players began life in the top division by recording the day’s best result with a 6-1 win at Balderstone. Andy White carried on where he signed off in May with a hat trick and Chris Holbrook, Gibson and Platt made up the half dozen.

By contrast, last season’s champions Balderstone have endured a difficult summer, with many key players leaving the club, but Nathan Agg has worked ceaselessly alongside the new committee to repair the damage left behind and he will be confident of better results as the season develops. Jake Warburton contributed Balderstone’s consolation goal on the only remaining 3G surface in the league following the loss of several teams from the last campaign.

With Whitworth Valley and FC Bury Town seeking pastures new, and the regrettable demise of Star and Oldham Boro 2nds, Sudden and Rochdale Asia have been promoted to the top flight and the latter began with a promising 2-0 win at Walsden C&FC.

Once they found their feet, and their way there, Asia were good value for the win in a competitive game played in an excellent spirit throughout. The home side were laid bare by the cricket semi final at Norden but the twelve they fielded looked for long periods capable of opening with the win. With Paul Marrow leading a determined defensive performance, and Jonathan Sutcliffe lively up front, it took several good saves from Lee O’Neill in the Asia goal to keep the half time scoreline blank.

The second period saw the visitors enjoying a much greater share of possession as Walsden tired, and in Umar Mahmood and Michael Rushton Asia have potentially one of the best front pairings in the division. Almost inevitably it was Rushton who broke the deadlock in the seventy seventh minute, with Walsden appealing for offside, and the same player ended any debate with his second goal five minutes later to seal the points.

White Lion is another side to have lost key players to a higher standard yet their young side fully deserved their opening day point at Woodbank courtesy of goals from Matthews and Whittaker. Woodbank are always worth watching and Coop and Hancock ensured the draw at Nuttall Park.

Last season Rochdale Sacred Heart lost no fewer than six league games by the odd goal and that trend was back on the opening day as Falcon edged them out by the odd goal in nine at Firgrove. Coleman 2, Harrison and Lyons scored for Hearts but it was not quite enough as Jackson 2, Newall, Halliday and Needham earned all three points for Paul Caton’s side.

Rochdale Galaxy look to have recruited well in the summer and one of their key new signings, Ezequel Mirand, was on the mark against Mighty Dragons at Firgrove. Porter claimed Galaxy’s second goal but on the day it wasn’t quite enough as Wayne Attwood’s A&M Trophy winning side took all three points.

Luke Hibbert claimed the afternoon’s other hat trick as F&W Rovers won 4-2 at Matthew Moss against a Horse & Farrier side that look set for a better campaign than the last one. Rothwell added Rovers’ fourth goal with Varty and Price replying for Farrier.

Fothergill & Whittles 2nds made it a hat trick of wins for the club as they edged out Chadderton Park 3-2 at Clayton with goals from Morton, Harris-Hudson and Healey, whilst Wardle OB and Hargreaves shared four goals and the points at Firgrove.