Holker Old Boys 1-3 Cheadle Town

There is a manufacturer of a famous stout, based in the Republic of Ireland, whose advertising strapline has centred on all good things coming to those who wait.

Two minutes for a pint of stout. Mere small fry in comparison to the sixteen years that Cheadle Town Football Club have taken to register a win at Rakesmoor Lane.

The cheers at the final whistle were long and loud, not only in celebration of the hoodoo being buried but for the fact that these are three points that might prove vital in the play-off picture come the end of next month.

In a match played in torrential conditions, the words "wet and windy" don't really do it justice, we made the perfect start.

After two minutes a Mike Sherrington ball across the face of the goalmouth was tucked home at the far post by Liam Tongue.

Would this be the year where we finally got a win at Holker?

We went on the attack again six minutes later. James Horan's good work down the left seeing the ball squared for Mike Sherrington in the box but he just couldn't shape his body in time and his effort sailed wide.

The conditions were that bad that yours truly, usually holed up next to the dugout, was sent scurrying to the covered stand behind the goal that we were attacking.

A good standpoint, though, to then see Mike Sherrington clean through on goal just after the half-hour mark but denied by an excellent last-ditch tackle.

With three minutes of the half remaining, we extended the lead.

The referee played a good advantage as we advanced down the left, allowing Luke Pearson to continue a run in on goal and smash home from inside the area.

Would this be the year where we finally got a win at Holker?

The second half was more to and fro.

Rick Whyatt had a golden opportunity to put the game to bed within a minute of the restart but somehow scooped his shot wide when put clean through.

Steve Piggott then had to make a really smart save down and low to his right before Rick Whyatt missed another chance, getting his head to a Liam Tongue free-kick but shaving his effort just wide.

Liam Tongue then decided to test the keeper himself on 55 minutes, forcing him into an excellent stop from a fiercely-struck free kick before we went 3-0 up from the resulting corner, Anthony Trucca powering home a header.

Would this be the year where we finally got a win at Holker?

Just two minutes later Steve Piggott was on hand again, reacting quickly to smother two close-range efforts but he could do absolutely nothing about the penalty on 71 minutes that was struck high into his net to reduce the arrears.

A mix-up in the Cheadle defence almost let Holker in yet again which then heralded a final ten minutes where we should have put the game out of sight.

The Holker keeper denied Mike Sherrington (twice) and Josh Stevenson with good stops, with Anthony Trucca and Josh also squandering glorious chances.

There was time right at the end for Steve Piggott to cap an excellent match by tipping a free-kick onto the crossbar.

And so onto this Wednesday with another crucial match when promotion-chasing Irlam come to Park Road. All we can do is win our matches and see what happens as others complete their games-in-hand; it's going to make for an exciting end to the season.

Would this be the year where we finally got a win at Holker?

Yes...yes it would.

TEAM: Piggott, McLaughlin, Pearson, Trucca, Moore, Dunn, Smallwood, Tongue, M Sherrington, Whyatt (Stevenson), Horan (Nsimbe). SUBS: Stevenson, Nsimbe, Halliwell.