Athletic set up Castle Cup tie
SUNDAY 26th November the Rochdale, Bury & District Sunday Football league have 7 games Postponed due to the weather, one game a home team walkover.
Nine fixtures were completed with seven league fixtures & two Christine Robinson Memorial League Cup Stage 2.
The featured game was Christine Robinson Memorial League Cup Stage 2 Clayton Athletic FC 5 v North Manchester Lions FC 2nds 2, with Clayton playing field the venue for the fixture & referee Daniel Shipton.
With early morning frost leaving the pitch just about playable the local Oldham team Clayton Athletic FC took an early lead in the first half, from hat-trick man Kane Steele with a coolly taken goal. North Manchester Lions FC 2nds responded constantly breaking up play with the referee missing a hand ball claim for a penalty, before Pedro (Peter Gallagher) for the Lions pulled them level with a great individual display of football.
The Lions kept the pressure up throughout the first half on Clayton with another penalty claim for them being dismissed as a foul on the keeper that caused some controversial discussions.
However, Clayton stood fast with their keeper making several key stops and a save for another nailed on penalty due to an off-side call by the referee, Clayton pulled a goal against the run of play, just before the half-time by Kane taking a 2-1 lead into the break.
The Lions came out putting the pressure on Clayton & a wonder goal strike from just inside the box from Ben Thompson for the Lions pulling the cup game back to 2-2.
At this point the Clayton lads regrouped & started to take control of the game with wonderful individual goal from their very own twinkles toes, Callum Viner, making the game 3-2 to the home team.
At this the Lions lost their striker “Pedro” through injury and ten a sin bin for the Lions lost their left back who applied a lot of pressure in the first half for 10 minutes sin bin, this allowed Clayton to go out on full attack mode, if not for the Lions goalkeeper making 4 to 5 brilliant saves before Clayton added goals from Lewis Fagan and Kane Steel completed his hattrick.
This win for Clayton takes them into the next round of the Christine Robinson Memorial League Cup with an away fixture tbd against tough opponents the Division 1 team Bolton Castle FC.
Division 2: AFC D’havilland FC 7 v Ramsbottom Hounds FC 4
Division 3 Cartshaft FC 4 v Radcliffe Borough FC 1
Christine Robinson Memorial League Cup: Clayton Athletic FC 5 v North Manchester Lions FC 2nds 2
Division 2: Game Cock First 1 v Fox & Pine Villa FC 6
Christine Robinson Memorial League Cup Holcombe AFC 5 v Lancashire Hospitality FC 2
Division 4: Rochdale Mayfield FC 2 v Railway Rovers FC 5
Division 4: The Brown Cow FC 3 v FC GTAS 4
Division 3: Totty Robins FC 2 v Norford United FC 3
Division 3: Wardle FC 2 v AFC Swan 5
Division 3: Wardleworth FC v AFC Bolton (Home Walkover)