Cheadle Town 3-0 Bacup Borough
Another weekend, another Cheadle win.
Those of a more malicious mind will point to two goalkeeping errors for our first two goals but the simple fact remains that we were imperious, should have won by a larger scoreline and thoroughly deserved the three points, limiting Bacup to very little, if nothing; goalkeeper Tom Elford had his quietest 90 minutes in between the sticks for Cheadle.
We started very brightly, so brightly that I registered an attempt on the Bacup goal for each minute of the opening five.
A corner in from the left that nobody could connect with, Chris Sherrington's outrageous attempt from distance that clipped the crossbar, Anthony Trucca going just wide with a header, Liam Tongue testing the keeper from distance and then seeing an effort ruled out for offisde all happened in the first passages of play.
The Bacup doors caved in on the 10th minute.
Liam Tongue again instrumental, blasting goalwards and forcing the keeper into a save that he could only direct into the path of Luke Hincks who buried the loose ball from close range.
Another four minutes later Luke was to profit from another goalkeeping error, unexpectedly finding the ball kindly dropped at his feet for him to roll home from the edge of the box with nobody else in sight.
The pressure continued. Luke Pearson struck the foot of the post with a corner on the 19th minute before the third went in shortly after: James Horan converting easily after connecting with a square pass from Darryhl Mason.
James Horan should have had his second just before half-time but just mis-timed his run by the smallest of margins as he went to head Chris Sherrington's left-wing cross.
The first half ended with Darryhl Mason cracking the post with a shot from the tightest of angles and Liam Tongue seeing a rasping drive deflected wide.
The second half was a different beast. A downpour made the conditions that little bit more difficult and obviously Bacup had received the proverbial rocket up their behinds and had tightened things up in defence, but that said we were never in any danger as we managed the game well and saw things out comfortably.
The Bacup keeper did better in holding a fierce drive from Chris Sherrington on the hour mark and perhaps should have been picking the ball out of the net two more times but Darryhl Mason spared him the trouble, driving over from a good position on 81 minutes and then somehow making a complete pig's ear of converting a Magida cross from a yard out on 87.
In what was labelled by yours truly as a "potentially difficult month" hasn't turned out too bad thus far: maximum points. Hopefully we can make it a 100% haul on Boxing Day when we travel to Irlam.
Still top. Guaranteed top spot for Xmas Day. And for the turn of the year and all. Merry Christmas.
TEAM: Elford, McLaughlin, Pearson, Trucca (Magida), Sacks, Dunn, Hincks, Tongue, Mason, Horan (Whyatt), Sherrington (Vincent). SUBS: Piggott (gk), Magida, Whyatt, Kennedy, Vincent.
