Cheadle Town 5-3 Whitchurch Alport
Cheadle Town gained their first victory of the season in goal thriller of a match against newcomers to the League, Whitchurch Alport.
With twelve goals being scored in Cheadle’s previous two games, the spectators who attended Saturday’s game surely were not banking on another eight goals being added to that tally.
Indeed Cheadle Town were on the back foot within the first minutes of the game as Whitchurch forced Stephen Piggott into a good save to deny the visitors an early goal.
That early scare seemed to give Cheadle the necessary lift and on 4 minutes Richard Whyatt gave Cheadle the lead after latching onto a loose ball following a looping cross from the right by Christopher Rathburn.
James Horan had a great opportunity to increase Cheadle’s lead on 11 minutes, but agonisingly watched as his well placed header was cleared off the line by an Whitchurch defender. Then on 21 minutes Christopher Sherrington found some space in the area and fired a shot that rebounded off the post.
Cheadle’s lead was undone on 25 minutes when Luke Woollam beat the offside trap and raced through on goal to slot the ball past the oncoming Piggott.
At this stage of the game it was end-to-end with Jonathan McLaughlin going close on 33 minutes with a screaming 30 yard effort that went just wide. Cheadle’s pressure was finally rewarded on 35 minutes when Whyatt got his second goal of the game with a well placed header.
The lead was short-lived as Whitchurch drew level on 45 minutes when JJ Bailey latched onto a loose ball in the area and beat Piggott with a well placed shot.
HT: Cheadle Town 2 Whitchurch Alport 2
The second half began rather cautious for both sides and it wasn’t until 62 minutes when Cheadle’s Horan saw his shot hit the woodwork, before James finally scored a well earned goal on 71 minutes when he perfectly chipped the oncoming goalkeeper from 15 yards out to give Cheadle the lead again.
That lead lasted until 81 minutes when Whitchurch equalised again when a free kick was lofted to the far post and Woollam headed home.
With time running out Cheadle were provided with a golden opportunity to win the game on 90 minutes when they were awarded a penalty. Luke Pearson held his nerve and coolly slotted the ball into the back of the net to give Cheadle the lead in this game once again. Cheadle hadn’t finished there, and four minutes later they put the game to bed when Sherrington fired a low shot past the keeper.
