Avenue’s title intent evident in early stages
ABUSY day in the RBDSFL with a full programme of league fixtures saw Division One leaders Avenue continue in their relentless pursuit of another title with a thumping 8-2 victory at home to North Manchester Lions.
AFC Swan moved up to third in the table with a narrow 2-1 win over Fox & Pine who still only have a single point after four games played and Rochdalians & Spotland were comfortable winners 4-0 at R-kix to move into second.
In Division Two Littleborough fell to their first defeat of the season losing 3-1 at home to leaders Avenue 2nds while Love Energy Savings move dup to second with a 5-3 win at Woolworths.
Tonge United sit in third place after beating Woodbank UTB 3-1 and in the one other fixture in the division Breightmet Wanderers cruised to a 7-1 victory at Empire.
In Division Three Hindsford, North Walkden and Royton CC all kicked off having taken maximum points so far and indeed ended the day still with the maximum points tally after wins over Norford United, AFC Bolton and The Oxford respectively.
Royle and Bury Pumas sit just behind the leading three, Pumas winning 5-3 at Woodbank JFC and Royle winning 3-1 at Johnson Fold.
In Division Four both Heywood Athletic and Game Cock have 100% records so far but with Game Cock having no fixture Heywood took advantage to open up a 3 point gap at the top as they cruised to victory with a 5-1 win over Rochdale Military Vets. AFC
Radcliffe are still in second after their first defeat of the season losing 7-2 at Breightmet Wanderers 2nds with Game Cock in third.
R-kix Reserves suffered the same fate as their first team and fell to a heavy defeat 5-0 at home to Rochdalians & Spotland 2nds whilst Brown Cow are pointless and prop up the table after losing 7-3 at Clayton Athletic.
Wardleworth are now the only team in Division Five with maximum points after a 4-1 win at AFC Swan 2nds and they now go above them to top the table while Swan drop to second.
North West Cobras claimed their first points of the season with a hard fought 6-4 win at home to Railway Rovers, while the local derby saw Bury North and Made in Bury share the points in a 2-2 draw.
North Manchester Lions 2nds and Totty Robins also shared the points and same result in their encounter while the one other fixture saw Holcombe firmly rooted to the foot of the table with no points so far after a 7-2 thrashing at home to FC Wellington.
Division Four Heywood Ath AFC Radcliffe Game Cock Breightmet Wand 2nds Rochdalians & Spot 2nds R-kix 2nds Duke Of Wellington Clayton Ath Rochdale Military Vets AFC D’havilland Brown Cow Division Five Wardleworth AFC Swan 2nds Railway Rovers Bury North Made In Bury FC Wellington Milburn NM Lions 2nds Totty Robins North West Cobras East Lancs Holcombe
TOMORROW’S FIXTURES FIRST DIVISION:
Town J Churchill
THE SUNDAY FA CUP: SECOND DIVISION:
Avenue v Oyster Martyrs FA Bolton Castle v Love Energy Savings K Hayes, Avenue 2nd v Woodbank UTB OFF, Breightmet Wanderers v Littleborough P Newby, Tonge Utd v Empire A Kaye
THIRD DIVISION:
Dandler S Sankey
ROYLE V JOHNSON FOLD S BROPHY, BURY PUMAS V NORFORD J GARSRUD, ROYTON CC V HINDSFORD OFF FOURTH DIVISION:
Heywood Athletic v Duke of Wellington B Helps, Rochdalians & Spotland 2nd v Clayton Athletic OFF, R-kix Res v Breightmet Wanderers 2nd P Dawson, AFC Radcliffe v AFC D’haviland Y Goldin, Open date: Rochdalians 2nd FC Wellington v Totty Robins TBC, North Manchester Lions 2nd v East Lancs C Bega, Bury North v Holcombe A Powell, Wardleworth v North West Cobras N Gibbons
FIFTH DIVISION:
AFC Swan v Rochdalians & Spotland P Pritchard, R-kix v Bolton Woodbank v AFC Bolton P Nicholson, North Walkden v Hark to
MFA SUNDAY AMATEUR CUP ROUND ONE:
Cheadle Hulme v North Manchester Lions MFA, Irlam v Woolworths MFA, Rochdale Military Vets v Manchester Rovers, OTA Sporting v Shawside MFA, Salford Giants v Brown Cow MFA, Swinton Poets v the Oxford MFA, Bye 0 v 3 Royton CC MFA, Fox & Pine v FC Milnrow, Milburn v Egerton Arms, Totty Robins v De La Salle, Railway Rovers v D&P United, Plough Athletic v Made in Bury MFA
LFA SUNDAY TROPHY SECOND ROUND:
Acregate Lane LC v R-kix FC LFA, Avenue 2nd v No.10 Ale House D Cryer, Bolton Town v Penwortham Town J Albison, Ewood Blues P v P Avenue LFA, Fulwood & Broughton v AFC Swan 2nd LFA, Hindsford v SRDC N Watson, Waverley Park v Empire LFA
●●ROCHDALE U18s were narrowly defeated 1-0 at home to Shrewsbury on Tuesday.
A 20th minute strike from Harvey Kirby-moore sealed defeat for Dale at Stalybridge Celtic’s Bower Fold.
The visitors broke the deadlock after 20 minutes. Josh Bailey carried the ball from the far side of the pitch and dribbled past a couple of defenders before putting the ball across the box for Kirby-moore who shot the ball high and past Lennon Maclorg.
This initially sprung Dale into action with the ball being played about more freely. Darren Ehimamiegho’s cross was met by Zak Greenwell who tested the keeper.
Paul Kyffin latched onto the end of John Dunlop’s cross-field pass, Kyffin’s header reached Ehimamiegho who found Greenwell once again, however this time he shot wide.
Shrewsbury had chances of their own, with one of their efforts testing Maclorg as well as a shot from Bailey which was fired well over the bar.
Dale finished the first half lively. Kyffin had a corner which nearly crept in at the back post but it was kept out by the Shrewsbury defence.
The final chance of the half was once again created by Ehimamiegho and Greenwell down Dale’s left-hand side, however the ball was sent over the bar.
The second half was much quieter. Substitute Isaac Burgess made two great blocks followed by a strong challenge to keep Shrewsbury from doubling their lead.
The away side managed the game well, limiting chances for Dale. Two defensive errors led to a couple of great chances for Shrewsbury, but Maclorg was equal to them.
The only real chance of the second half for Dale fell to Kyffin who struck a free-kick over the bar after Max Sutton was fouled just outside of the area. DALE XI: