League and cup double for Stags
THE last competitive match of the 2021/22 season saw Rossendale FC go head to head with Kendal United in the final of the Challenge Cup, the match played at Euxton Villa.
The playing surface at Euxton Villa was hard and bumpy which wasn’t good for Rossendale’s passing football.
A good following from the valley turned up for the game, and in a match of very few chances for either side Rossendale edged out Kendal United 1-0 to add the West Lancs League Challenge Cup to their League winner’s trophy for a brilliant league and cup double.
With Rossendale trying to get the ball down and play Kendal were playing long balls over the Rossendale defence to the wingers but their attacks were kept at bay by strong defending from the whole defence.
Rossendale opened the scoring on 19 minutes when a Jordan Hilton corner was partial cleared the ball landing for Paul Stannard 12 yards out. He controlled it and smashed an unstoppable shot past the startled keeper before he could move.
Buoyed by the goal, Rossendale pressed forward in search of a second but again the resolute Kendal defenders kept them out, and they did create a couple of chances going forward themselves.
A snap shot on 27 minutes hit the base of the right-hand upright and ran away to safety, and three minutes later Rossendale keeper Vinny McLaughlin was alert to tip a goal bound shot round the post.
The remaining fifteen minutes passed without incident and Rossendale went in at the break with a slender one-goal lead.
The Stags did get forward more in the second half in search of a second goal and with the nonstop running and closing down of the midfield trio of Mickey Saunders, Luke Simpson and the impressive Will Foster assisting forwards Scott Wylie, Paul Stannard and Tom Hulme, they created several corners and chances.
With the Kendal keeper and defence keeping Rossendale at bay, the closest they came to adding to their lead was on 70 minutes when a corner was cleared and Joel Haworth’s first time effort came back off the cross bar.
At the other end, the Rossendale defence was determined to keep a clean sheet as high balls to the two big forwards were constantly being won in the air by captain Adam McInnes and man of the match Simon Nangle.
Full backs Jordan Hilton and Joe Haworth kept Kendal’s wide men in check throughout the second period and as a result the Rossendale goal was rarely threatened.
Manager Ray Davis was able to use his five substitutes Stuart Craig, Sam Moriarty, Joel Haworth, Jack Cassidy, Tom Walker who all played their part.
In the final stages of the match Rossendale kept the ball in the Kendal half of the field and when the referee brought the game to an end the league and cup double had been achieved, sparking wild celebrations from all the Rossendale squad and great applause from the supporters who had travelled for the match.
So a fantastic season for Rossendale FC has come to an end – in total they played 26 league games, four Challenge Cup games and two Lancashire LFA Shield fixtures, scoring an impressive 122 goals and conceding just 22, and the three goalkeepers used through the season have kept 17 clean sheets between them.
Congratulations to all involved on winning the League title, Promotion, and the Challenge Cup, the squad can now take a well-earned break before they return for the 2022/23 season in the West Lancs League 1st Division.