Cheadle Town 1-1 Chadderton
Two draws. Two different feelings. Whereas last Saturday's heroics felt like a win, this one felt like a loss.
Despite good early pressure from us with a series of corners, it looked as though Chadderton were going to strike the first blow after just six minutes when they were awarded a penalty. Luckily for us the ball cannoned back off the post with us then spending the rest of the first half doing our level best to punish Chaddy for the miss.
A frantic opening ten minutes gave way to our first decent chance after twelve, Darrhyl Mason looking set to connect with a Luke Pearson cross but being thwarted at the last by some good defending.
Darrhyl was then in the thick of it again after 17 minutes as he lung-bust his way through on goal but could only shoot tamely into the keeper's arms with him then providing the ball for James Horan on the edge of the box to crash a shot off the foot of the post.
A minute later and our pressure told. Good build-up work down the left resulted in the ball being squared for Rick Whyatt in acres of space and all the time in the world to hammer home from the edge of the box.
Antony Trucca fizzed a shot inches wide just after the half-hour mark with Chris Sherrington providing a perfect low cross for James Horan to latch onto but the resulting flick towards goal was agonisingly wide.
Chadderton reminded us that they weren't out of this game just before half time, forcing Steve Piggott to make an excellent fingertip save over the bar from a fierce long-range drive.
Steve ended up doing himself a mischief making that save and didn't reappear for the second half. His replacement Josh Clews was called into action in the 57th minute by making a wonderful reaction save to tip a header over the bar.
If truth be told we created very little in a second half where we steadily faded away. Chadderton's slow-but-sure increase of pressure finally paid off for them with only five minutes of the match remaining: perennial tormentor of Cheadle Town - even in his Oldham days - James Curley with the simplest of headers from close range following a corner.
There was still time for that typically Cheadle "will we or won't we" moment when Chris Sherrington lashed a shot goalwards deep into stoppage time, but there was to be no late drama this time around as the ball skidded harmlessly wide.
Onto this Saturday now, when we pit our wits against NWCFL newcomers Whitchurch Alport.
Pictures from the match can be seen by CLICKING HERE (thanks to James Lobley) and in the gallery below
TEAM: Piggott (Clews), McLaughlin, Pearson, Trucca, Birch, MacAuley, Mason, Hincks, Horan (Rawlings), Whyatt, Sherrington. SUBS: Clews (gk), Nolan, Rawlings, Tonge, Rodrigues.
