HANLEY ARE HIT FOR SIX AS WHITCHURCH INFLICT HEAVY DEFEAT
HANLEY Town slumped to their heaviest defeat of the season in going down 6-1 at home to Whitchurch Alport in the Premier Division.
Luke Sutton hit the bar as Hanley began the game well but Alport went in front on the halfhour mark. Good work by Lee Pickerill saw the ball go to former Newcastle Town and Kidsgrove striker Jordan Cole and he opened his account for the club with a good finish.
Cole scored again in the 44th minute when a defensive mix-up allowed him an easy tap-in and right on half-time another former Kidsgrove player, Aaron Johns made it 3-0. Cole completed his hat-trick two minutes into the second half after Johns dribbled his way into the box to set him up.
Tim Sanders, also ex-kidsgrove, thumped home a fifth goal for the visitors in the 66th minute before Callum Tunstall pulled a goal back for Hanley with a shot from outside the box nine minutes later.
Joe Howell added a sixth for Whitchurch in the last minute.
The big Cheshire derby between SANDBACH UNITED and ALSAGER TOWN in Division One South ended goalless after a tough battle in the pouring rain at the Sandbach Community Centre.
It was the first time in 22 games that Sandbach had failed to find the net. The Bullets were happy with the point to end a run of three successive defeats in which they had conceded 13 goals.
STONE DOMINOES’ scheduled visit to Ellesmere Rangers was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.
The club are now on the lookout for a new manager after Kyle Adams stood down on Friday. He tweeted: ‘Had a good three and a half years at Stone Dominies, but time to step away. A tremendous set of lads there on the football side of things who I wish all the best, but when other things get too much and start putting a strain on other important priorities, it’s probably time for a break.”
Adams took sole charge of Dominoes at the start of the season after they were accepted into the league after finishing 11th in the Staffs County Senior League Premier Division. CONGLETON TOWN reached the quarter-finals of the Macron Cup with a 1-0 victory at Division One South leaders ABBEY HULTON UNITED, their tenth win in eleven games.
Torrential rain and wind made good play difficult in the first half and both sides struggled. The Bears broke the deadlock ten minutes into the second half as conditions eased.
Dan Cope played a good through ball to Emini Adegbenro and he beat one defender before sliding his effort past Jacob Holding in the home goal for his 10th goal of the season.
Congleton had a chance to double their lead when they were awarded a penalty in the 74th minute. A long ball saw Cope race into the box only to be brought down. Cope took the spot-kick himself, but Holding produced a good save and the rebound was cleared. Abbey pressed for an equaliser but it was not to be.
In the quarter-finals Congleton will be at home to Cammell Laird 1907 or Rylands, whose game was rained off.
ECCLESHALL’S tie at Barnoldswick Town was also a casualty of the wet weather.
In the Total Motion League First Division UTTOXETER TOWN made it three wins out of four in the league with a 3-1 success at Coventry Copsewood.
Uttoxeter went in front in the 22nd minute through Jack Hassall and James Curley doubled their advantage seven minutes later when he capitalised on Dale O’donnell spilling a free-kick. Coventry were back in it when Sean Kavanagh netted in the 31st minute, but Curley made sure of the points in the 84th minute with his seventh goal in the last five games.
BROCTON were thumped 6-1 at Lichfield City and have now lost five games in succession, conceding 26 goals in the process. It was 4-0 at half-time and Lichfield led 6-0 after an hour, but five minutes later Alex Scott netted a consolation goal for the Badgers.
ROCESTER were beaten 5-2 at Hillsfield by Studley with 17-yearold Canadian striker Micah Jebbison scoring both goals for the Romans in the second half.
The Studley goals came from a hat-trick by Sean Brain, who has scored 15 goals in seven games, Brandon Hague and Steve Roche.