Cup progression for Mellor teams
IN a day of cup action Mellor enjoyed a double for their first and second teams in their respective league cup competitions.
The Rhodes Cup quarter-final had Mellor firsts given a good game by a lively Signol Athletic but they booked their semi spot with a 5-3 win.
The other Rhodes Cup tie was a close contest with Newton Heath taken all the way before beating Hooley Bridge Celtic by the odd goal in three.
Salford Sports Village staged the two Wray Cup semi-finals for teams in divisions two and three and Mellor seconds kept up their club’s double cup hopes with a comfortable 4-1 win over Moston Brook seconds.
In the final they will meet Whalley Range seconds who had to come from behind before emerging with a 4-2 win over a battling AFC Oldham.
Range were caught napping as Oldham raced into a 2-0 lead on 20 minutes with a clinical double from Sean Salford but Range reduced the arrears with Paul Smethurst netting before the break.
The loss of their outstanding centre back proved decisive for Oldham as Range dominated the second half with three unanswered goals to make it through to the final.
The other cup match featured Spurley Hey in the semi-final of the Stockport Senior Cup as they visited Cheadle Town seconds.
Hey were slow out of their blocks and conceded two soft goals in the opening five minutes.
It proved to be the decisive period in the game as both teams scored twice after that but it was too much for a gallant Hey to recover the two-goal deficit.
Limited action in the Premier division saw the race for the title definitely become a two-horse race between Whalley Range and Mellor as third-placed Tintwistle Athletic were beaten 4-1 at South Manchester.
On target for a vibrant South were Clay Murray, Azuka Otutu and Kane Berkeley with a blasting brace.
Bedians’ hopes of escaping the bottom two were ended as they lost out 4-3 in a tight game at Rochdalians and Newton moved to safety with an emphatic 7-2 win at Parrs Wood Celtic.
In division one there was another goal fest at Stoconians as they beat Oldham Vics 6-4 and basement team Swinton were delighted to post a 2-1 win over Old Stretfordians to keep up their hopes of avoiding the drop.
Just one league fixture in division two and a midtable tussle between Newton seconds and South Manchester seconds ended in a predictable 1-1 deadlock.
Chorltonians seconds kept up their pursuit on non-playing division three leaders Didsbury with an exciting 5-3 win in a wellcontested game played in excellent spirit at Cheadle Hulme Athletic.
Chorlts always had the edge in firepower and deserved their success.
The other two games in the division produced identical 4-1 score-lines in favour of Heaton Mersey against Rochdalians seconds and Hooley Bridge seconds hosting Santos.
Hollingworth kept on track for the division A title but were taken all the way before beating Signol Athletic seconds by the odd goal in seven.
The win moves them six points clear of Chorltonians Rovers who have two games in hand a better goal difference.
Plenty of goals in the other game in the division as Aldermere beat Bury Ams second 6-3.
Division B had the biggest action of the day with six games in the mix and the hopes of Tintwistle Athletic overhauling leaders Abacus Media seconds were given a boost
Abacus were held to a 3-3 draw in a local derby with Milton while Tintwistle demolished Hillgate 8-4 to move to within five points of Abacus with two games to play for both teams.
The other games were close affairs as thirdplaced Village Manchester again defended impressively for another clean sheet against Staly Lions seconds but this was matched by the Lions in a 0-0 deadlock.
Old Stretfordians seconds won 2-1 at Chorltonians Villa and Deans and Bury Ams thirds shared four goals.
Moorside Rangers took another step toward a league and cup double as the Hellawell Shield finalists stay two points clear at the top of division C after a comfortable 4-1 win over Parrs Wood Celtic thirds.
Spurley Hey seconds, who will meet Moorside in the Hellawell Shield final maintained good form with an emphatic 5-0 victory over AFC Oldhham thirds.
Moston Brook fourths shared four goals with Stoconians thirds and Manchester Rovers won a tight derby at Didsbury thirds by 3-2.
It was a big day for division D leaders Bedians thirds as they enjoyed a 4-3 derby win at Didsbury fourths while secondplaced Trafford United seconds suffered a 3-1 home defeat by Stoconians fourths.
Old Stretfordians thirds still have hopes of catching the top two with four games in hand and they edged a 4-3 win hosting Chorltonians Athletic.
Bury Ams fourths went nap in a 5-2 win over Droylsden JFC and the other game saw AFC Oldham fourths win 3-2 at Staly Lions thirds.