Alsager Town 2-0 Cheadle Town

The team minibus was some fifteen minutes into its journey before having to turn back because the kit had been left behind and one of the players was left stranded at Park Road stadium awaiting a lift that never materialised, thus having to hotfoot it back to his own vehicle and drive his own way to Alsager.

‘Twas ever thus that it was going to be one of those days.

Mssrs Trucca and Seaton all smiles pre-match.

A match that looked like it was sauntering to a 0-0 draw (that nobody would have complained about) suddenly came to life - not necessarily in our favour - within the final five minutes.

Two well-placed thunderous efforts did for us. One from Shane Williams from the edge of the area after we failed to deal with a situation and the other from Dominic Smith from wide left deep into stoppage time.

It was a mildly-promising first half performance and all, albeit we were reduced to half-chances most of the time.

Ben Christopher let fly from range as early as the 6th minute with the 25th minute then seeing Callum Collinson tearing down the left and squaring for Christopher whose shot was parried.

Matthew German

In and around those chances, Alsager had troubled us a couple of times.

On the 10th minute they really should have punished us from a corner with Danny Whiting being called upon a minute later to block a volley at his far post.

On the half-hour Matt German went in for a 50-50 challenge. Nobody screamed or complained and nobody was hurt, but the referee saw fit to reach into his back pocket and produce a red card. The general consensus was he was unlucky to have been given a red card…and that includes the opinions of those from Alsager.

Collinson was in again down the left on 39 minutes but his deflected cross couldn’t find anybody to pick up the pieces and newcomer Ofori’s ball from the same spot moments later was met by a stooping header from Ryan Rogers when perhaps a wallop with the foot would have been the better option.

Newcomer Derryn Ofori

Unfortunately we failed to get anywhere near the same level of productivity in the second half.

Danny Whiting was called upon twice early doors, making a good block when Alsager’s Smith had wriggled his way clear on the edge of the box and then having to push an effort onto the post when Alsager’s no7 was allowed to join in play after being off the pitch and advance on goal.

The closest we came in the second half was on 82 minutes when Chris Sherrington’s fizzed free-kick had to be tipped over the bar.

Drinks break. Instructions given.

A truly naff day at the office. Thankfully the footballing gods are giving us another well-timed break from league matters this week and sending us to Crewe Alexandra for the Cheshire Senior Cup and St Helens Town for the Macron League Cup in successive matches.

By the time league matters return we should have all of our suspended and injured players back, a roll call that is longer than we care to mention.

Onwards.

TEAM: Whiting, Harrison, C Sherrington, German, Huynh, Delaney, Rogers (Knight), Hincks, Ofori (Clooney), Christopher (Ratican), Collinson. SUBS: Knight, Ratican, Clooney, Lilley (gk)

Alsager Town 1-4 Cheadle Town

From the ridiculous to the sublime.

With some players missing - one of which our leading goalscorer - and facing a trip to a difficult Alsager Town outfit those of a gambling persuasion may have been tempted to put their collective mortgages on yet another defeat.

Alas, in keeping with our half-decent away record this season - that's now a massive 70% of our league points amassed away from Park Road - we put in a measured performance and ran away comfortable, and deserved, winners.

This was a passion play with many acts where the passion from certain elements was misguided at times. More of that later.

Act One: Danny Whiting, He Of Safe Hand

It's fair to say that Danny Whiting had a very busy opening half hour, keeping us within reach of the match with some quality stops.

The start was a tad ring-rusty, mind, as confusion betwixt him and Joe Shaw with only three minutes gone almost let an Alsager forward through but thankfully he lobbed his effort over the bar.

Joe Shaw had to get a great last-ditch tackle in a few minutes later but it was on the turning of the 20th minute that Danny Whiting was repeatedly called into action.

He made a superb one-handed stop to deny their no11 and then did very well to alter his direction to block a deflected effort moments later.

He then palmed away a close-range header from a corner and was glad to see the loose ball blazed over his bar from a yard out, before managing to claw a well-struck free-kick around the post.

Act Two: The Turning Of The Screw

In amongst Alsager's attempts to keep Danny Whiting warm, we had our own little moments that suggested that we weren't going to be left out-of-sight in this match.

Luke Cotton, leading the front in the absence of Rick Whyatt, got his head onto an arrowed cross from Joe Nield on 12 minutes, sending his looping effort just over the bar. He got his head to another cross - a searching one from Luke Pearson this time - to force a great save from the Alsager keeper.

Five minutes before half-time we got the breakthrough.

Some great hold-up play by Jake Ambrose on the edge of the area was rewarded as he laid it off for an onrushing Callum Collinson to drive home from around 20 yards out.

Would the half-time break disrupt our momentum?

No. Just one minute into the restart Jake Ambrose was in on the right but saw his effort blocked.

Sixty seconds later and he would be in again, collecting the ball on the edge of the area from a free-kick, turning neatly, and finishing from inside the box.

Add another sixty seconds. We are awarded a penalty for which Luke Pearson steps up, only for him to plant it over the bar.

This gives Alsager a little bit of hope and they go on to have a decent spell around the hour mark. Danny Whiting has to come out to bravely gather the ball at a player's feet, Alsager actually net but it is given offside and Whiting is on-hand again, pushing a curling effort around the post.

But then on 72 minutes we re-seize the initiative.

Luke Cotton managed to round the keeper (after he had made a poor kick) but pushed the ball a little too wide for him to make anything of it before the next phase of play saw us take a 3-0 lead; Chris Sherrington's cross-shot from the left evading everybody and finding its way to the corner of the net. I had initially given Luke Cotton the goal on Twitter as I thought he got a touch to it but alas not. Sorry Luke.

On 82 minutes Chris Sherrington netted again but with a more deliberate effort this time around. Callum Collinson's dinked cross from the right fell just at the height for him to unleash an unstoppable drive from the left.

Act Three: Minds Lost

We don't usually call out referees on here as they have a difficult enough job as it is but we are absolutely baffled by the decision he made - or didn't make - on the 90th minute mark following what appeared, and most certainly sounded, like an elbow/arm to Joe Nield's face.

What we thought would be the inevitable red card turned out to be a yellow, for both the accused and Joe Nield.

And then there was ex-Cheadle midfielder Matt German, whose tightly-coiled temperament was slowly starting to unravel. Our coaching staff's genuine attempts to calm him down were only met with shoves. We can only hope that the headed goal he got as consolation six minutes into injury time served as some sort of comfort.

Perhaps it was a good job that certain elements of Alsager's home "support" had drifted away by then because I'm not sure their close proximity to all of this would have helped.

At 0-2 down and facing a defeat their calls for their own players to, and we quote, "break the legs of" and "end the season of" Cheadle players could be heard loud and clear by myself and other members of the visiting Cheadle committee. An attitude like that isn't "football support" and those individuals are a disgrace and a tarnish on Alsager Town FC.

Anyhow. Our thanks to the good folk at Alsager Town - of which there are plenty - for their hospitality.

For us we look ahead to another home match this weekend as AFC Blackpool visit Park Road.

TEAM: Whiting, Nield, Pearson, Wood, Shaw, Harrison, Collinson, Fleming (Delaney), Cotton (Ratican), Ambrose, C Sherrington. SUBS: Ratican, Delaney, Piggott (gk).

Cheadle Town 2-1 Alsager Town

First of all, a tip of the hat.

To our groundsman Phil for managing to ensure that we had a playable pitch. To use the racing vernacular the going was soft even before a ball was kicked and, given the light rain we had during the day, he did an admirable job.

Also to the two teams who, in such soft conditions (that gradually worsened and were definitely in the heavy category by the end of the match), got on with the job in hand and provided us with a half-decent cup tie.

The first shot across the bows came from us in the 4th minute. Aaron Fleming, reprising his role in midfield from the weekend, threaded a perfect ball through to Jake Ambrose whose first-time effort was matched by an excellent stop by the Alsager keeper.

On 12 minutes the deadlock was broken. Chris Sherrington drilled a cross in from the left that an Alsager defender tried to clear but, the surface being as it was, he slipped slightly and only managed to heel the ball straight into the path of the onrushing Rick Whyatt who blasted home.

Alsager then rallied, firing over after a neat one-two on the edge of the area and then forcing a good stop from Danny Whiting before Jake Ambrose then headed over a Sherrington corner from close range.

On 35 minutes we should have been 2-0 up. The Alsager keeper sent a terrible clearance straight to Jake Ambrose who could have had a go on goal himself. He didn't, instead opting to square the ball to Rick Whyatt who also didn't shoot with him then passing back to Jake. This moment of Chuckle Brother-esque to me to you nonsense gave the Alsager defence plenty of time to recover and hack the ball to safety. 

An opening 25 minutes of the second half where very little happened other than a few yellow cards was broken by an Alsager snap shot whistling just wide before we were reduced to ten men when Aaron Fleming collected his second yellow card. 

On 77 minutes enter Callum Collinson from the substitute bench. Already with an assist to his name from the bench at Nelson on Saturday, it only took him two minutes to go one better with a goal, seizing upon Alsager's failed attempts to clear their lines and rifling home with an angled drive from the right of the box.

The numbers of the pitch were evened up on 84 minutes when ex-Cheadle midfielder Matt German also picked up his second yellow card with our two-goal advantage then halved as stoppage time approached; a stonewall penalty cracked home by Alsager's Kyle Stubbs.

Having been out-to-lunch all season our home form is starting to pick up; the last two matches have seen victories (albeit both were in cup competitions but it would be terribly churlish to complain, right?) 

And so onto this weekend where the Park Road surface hosts once again. Phil is going to have to work his magic once more.

TEAM: Whiting, Turgeon, Ratican, Trucca (Delaney), Pearson, Harrison, Clarey (Collinson), Fleming, Ambrose (Gardiner), Whyatt, C Sherrington. SUBS: Delaney, Collinson, Gardiner, Lawson, Plumb.

Cheadle Town 1-2 Alsager Town

The bitterest of pills to swallow.

With just two minutes to go Alsager's Remeece Brown took off on a gallop towards our goal, twisted this way and that before opening his body up and placing a well-taken effort past Ryan Allcock.

Such a shame and all as we had done everything to haul ourselves back into the match in the second half - after a rather indifferent first - and can probably count ourselves a tad unlucky not to come away with at least a point.

That first half.

From a Cheadle point of view probably the less said about it the better. With only an early Rick Whyatt effort and a Rob Brocklehurst free-kick - both of which were straight at the keeper - to speak of we really didn't get going and offered little in terms of troubling the Alsager keeper.

Down the other end the first real significant effort on goal after a turgid 19 minutes saw Alsager go ahead thanks to a Joshua Glover looping header from a left-wing cross and Ryan Allcock doing very well to tip away a curling effort on 35 minutes.

He made one more decent stop early in the second half before the introduction of Luke Hincks gave us a bit more bite on the pitch.

This paid dividends on 69 minutes. James Dunn's run down the right into the box resulted in him shovelling the ball into the area for Mike Sherrington to finally - after a bit of persistence - prod home for a deserved leveller.

Mike was then through again on 76 minutes but the pace of the ball - and the keeper - thwarted him with George Clarey then through in a similar situation on 80 minutes with the keeper being equal to matters once more.

Neither team were settling for a draw, so who would win it? Unfortunately for us Alsager won that particular toss of the coin.

A cheerless result but still plenty of promise. Again, as it was in Atherton over the weekend, patience played a part. We stuck to our guns re our manner and style of play against a robust Alsager outfit and it (almost) paid off.

Two matches in. No major concerns as yet. Can't complain.

TEAM: Allcock, Dunn, Fleming, Brocklehurst (Delaney), Harrison, Shaw, Ambrose, Wood (Hincks), C Sherrington (Clarey), Whyatt, M Sherrington. SUBS: Piggott (gk), Hincks, Clarey, Delaney.

Cheadle Town 1-2 Alsager Town

A tale of two halves, of sorts.

A first half of some hesitant, nee shambolic defending on our part; a second half of a resilient comeback, continual forays into the opposition box sprinkled with some ill fortune.

One Cheadle player who will be scratching his head wondering how he didn't net in this match will be Joe Shaw. On at least three occasions during the second half the ball came to him on the edge of the area, following a corner or whathaveyou, and three times his worthwhile efforts were blocked by some resolute defending and/or goalkeeping.

Ditto Rick Whyatt. He was fed the ball by Liam Tongue on the hour mark only to see his shot saved, headed over from close range from the resulting corner and, if he was blessed with another couple of inches of height, would have got his header to a Chris Sherrington cross on the 75th minute.

In saying that, Rick Whyatt probably would have got more sleep than Joe Shaw as he set up the goal in the second half that reduced the arrears and got us back into the match.

His floated cross from the right was met by the head of Liam Tongue who did well to get ahead of his marker and bury the ball from inside the box.

As mentioned, that reduced arrears as a lot of the damage had already been done in the first 45 minutes. It wasn't all Alsager as we had chances of our own in the first period, but we certainly gave them a helping hand towards their 2-0 half-time lead.

Alsager's opening goal on 10 minutes was a gift via some hesitant defending from a corner; Michael Lennon didn't have to move an inch to simply connect with a corner from the left and nod home from a yard out. Even more galling was the fact that the corner came as a result of Steve Piggott mis-firing a clearance.

Ten minutes later on they went two up, again via an unforced error as a cross wasn't cleared correctly, instead being shinned onto our own post with Alsager's Grice there to then gobble up the loose ball.

Alsager almost profited twice more from unforced errors in the first half. On 25 minutes a loose backwards header almost saw Lennon advance on goal and round Steve Piggott, but he was denied by a good recovery from our keeper. Just three minutes later a clearing header fell straight to a red Alsager shirt with the resulting effort being cleared off the line.

Seconds after Alsager went 2-0 up we almost cut the deficit thanks to Sam Noar after he burst through on the right only to see his strike cannon off the crossbar.

Sam also forced the Alsager keeper into a good block early doors, with Liam Tongue also testing his custodial skills and Nathan Tosum heading wide from a Chris Sherrington cross.

We're on the road again this Saturday (at high-flying Charnock Richard) which perhaps isn't such a bad thing. Our record at Park Road isn't pretty thus far: played 9, won 1, drawn 1, lost 7. In the league we're unbeaten away from home (granted we've only played 3 league matches away) so perhaps that is something to build on as we look to get more points on the table.

There has been plenty of promise shown from the last two matches to suggest that Charnock Richard won't have it all their own way this weekend.

Aux armes!

TEAM: Piggott, Todd, Pearson, German, Shaw, Waldron, Whyatt (Russell), Tongue, Noar, Tosum (Hincks), C Sherrington (Magida). SUBS: Jupp (gk), Hincks, Magida, Russell, Dunn.