Atherton LR 1-6 Cheadle Town

As responses to previous misdemeanours go, this was perfect.

The memories of last week's horror show at Maine Road were swept away by a tide of punishing, attacking play that brought a deserved hat-trick for Rhys Clooney, a brace for Rhys Webb and one for Liam Delaney.

We were making inroads into the LR box as early as the opening minute, forcing their defence into a series of key blocks before Liam Delaney stabbed an Abreu cross just wide a couple of minutes later.

Rhys Webb then had a go straight after, shooting just wide after cutting inside from the right before another foray into the box brought the opening goal on 11 minutes; Clooney meeting a right-wing cross with a pinpoint header into the corner of the net.

Tom Russell

The two Rhys' combined on 22 minutes when Webb put Clooney through with the latter's finish just lacking the legs to take it over the line before we stretched our lead just a minute later: good work by Ruben Abreu down the right saw him cut the ball across for the waiting Liam Delaney to drive home.

LR's best chance of the first half came just before the half-hour mark when they raced clear and looked set to round Danny Whiting but a slip at a vital moment - not his fault as the surface was on a greasy side - allowed us to hoof the ball clear.

On 35 minutes we went 3-0 ahead when the two Rhys' combined once more. This time it was Clooney feeding Webb with a threaded ball to the edge of the box where the latter took his time to pick his spot and place it into the roof of the net.

An LR free-kick did give us something to think about just before half-time which we had to hastily hack clear but we looked comfortable and very good value for our 3-0 lead....

....a lead that was extended even further on 53 minutes with an absolute beauty from Rhys Webb. 

Receiving the ball a good 35-40 yards out he advanced on goal but didn't look to have many options as he had three LR defenders for company. A few twists and turns later he opened up enough space for himself to curl a shot into the top corner that left the keeper stranded. 

Rhys Webb curls it home for Cheadle's fourth of the match

Four became five on the hour mark. A sweeping move forward made up of one-touch passing set Rhys Clooney free on the right. With the LR keeper bearing down on him he kept his head to slide the ball wide of him into the unguarded net.

Rhys Clooney about to score our fifth...

LR got themselves on the scoresheet on 67 minutes thanks to a penalty (that Danny Whiting almost got his hands to) with them also forcing Danny into a neat save at his near post on 73 minutes.

The final ten minutes of the match saw us create multiple chances to go even further ahead, all of them falling at the feet or head of Rhys Clooney.

He stabbed a Callum Knight cross inches wide and then did the same with a header from a Joe Neild cross before he finally got his hat-trick deep into stoppage time, sweeping home a cutback from Tom Ratican.

The next round sees us travel to Sandbach United on Saturday 6th October after they administered a similar hammering to New Mills. We will be able to get a feel of Sandbach this Wednesday as they come to Park Road when the bread and butter of league matters returns.

TEAM: Whiting, Neild, Wallace, Russell (Hewitt), Dunn, Shaw, Knight, Delaney (Hincks), Webb, Clooney, Abreu (Ratican). SUBS: Hewitt, Ratican, Hincks, Morrison (gk).

Job done!

Atherton LR 1-2 Cheadle Town

If only we could start seasons every week.

I make no apologies for the oxymoron; we haven't lost our opening competitive fixture for the past ten seasons now.

The casual observer might have put sound money on that run being ended at Atherton LR today. Us with the spine of last season's squad now elsewhere and going into this match with LR - themselves boasting a whole new raft of players - on the back of a mixed bag of results in pre-season.

But hey, we won.

What we may have lacked in pace, height and chance-to-goal conversion today we made up for in spades with patience, measurement and organisation.

The match was evenly-balanced with very little to write home about for the first 26 minutes until the two Sherringtons fashioned the first clear-cut chance; Chris' run to the edge of the box seeing his effort blocked with the loose ball running to an unmanned Mike who blazed over with the goal almost at his mercy.

Chris was instrumental in opening our account just six minutes later.

His cross from wide out on the left was gathered by Rick Whyatt in the box who had time to adjust his feet and plant home into the corner of the net.

Mike Sherrington then really should have made it 2-0 seven minutes later. He was put in on goal and had rounded the keeper successfully but somehow took too long to decide what to do thus allowing the LR defence to smuggle away the danger.

The disappointment didn't last long.

From the resulting corner Aaron Fleming rose at the near post to power in an unstoppable header.

And then it should have been 3-0 shortly before half-time.

Rick Whyatt found himself all alone in the area with the ball at his feet after everybody else had stopped, waiting for an offside flag that never came. Perhaps he had to much time to think as his effort was skied harmlessly.

LR applied more pressure in the second half but they were gifted their foothold back into the game on 58 minutes.

Ryan Allcock placed a clearance straight to the feet of an LR forward who then had the simple task of squaring it for Kidd for an easy tap-in.

Straight after that Ben Christopher almost restored our two-goal advantage but the LR keeper made a wonderful fingertip save over the bar.

Substitutes came and went for both sides as they both went for the all-important next goal with us having two more gilt-edged chances to wrap it up; both George Clarey and Ben Christopher were clean through on goal only to be thwarted by some excellent keeping.

Creases to iron out but the perfect start. Onwards to our next task: the visit of Alsager Town this Wednesday evening.

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

Cheadle Town 6-0 Atherton LR

"It might be one of those...where once we get one goal, we'll end up getting a hatful"

After an uneventful opening 20 minutes these words - uttered by the Mystic Meg stood next to me - were more in hope than anything else. We had huffed and puffed with only a wayward Rhys Webb effort from long-range to speak about.

When Mike Sherrington went through on 24 minutes (only to plant his effort in the keeper's midriff) there were signs that we were starting to click into gear.

Three minutes later George Blackwell gave the keeper another easy chance to save after he met a Chris Sherrington cross from the left and then drove in a cross of his own from the right only to find absolutely nobody at the end of it.

Mike Sherrington then planted a free header straight at the keeper before we finally got our reward on the 38th minute from a rather unlikely source.

Davidson Banda broke free of his left-back role and carried the ball forward. No significant challenge was forthcoming from the LR defence so before he knew it he was inside the penalty area and given - and took - the opportunity to bury at the near post.

Chris Sherrington should have extended the lead when the ball broke to him free on the left of the penalty area and George Blackwell was then unlucky to see a mazy run down the right smothered by the keeper.

On the stroke of half-time we got that two-goal lead as Liam Tongue treated us to one of his specials, cutting in from the left and rifling home from distance.

Just as we had done at Daisy Hill earlier in the week, we netted within minutes of the restart of the second half.

Mike Sherrington had made good inroads into the penalty area but seemed to get the ball trapped beneath his feet just as he was about to shoot. Following close behind him was Matthew Todd who took over and lashed home.

Thabiso Magida then went agonisingly wide with a lob on 51 minutes before we got our fourth just five minutes later thanks to a Sherrington combination: Chris crossing from the left for his brother Mike to beat his marker and head home at the far post.

Not wishing to miss out on the goalscoring fun, Rhys Webb joined in on 62 minutes when he latched onto a neat through ball from George Blackwell to drill home from inside the area.

5-0 up and in absolutely no danger, Terry Hincks made a few substitutions.

Enter Dane Smith. Usually the one who stops the goals going in, he was given the chance - as he was during the last ten minutes at Widnes - to make a nuisance of himself upfront.

With the Cheadle bench and the vast majority of the Park Road attendees willing him to score, the footballing gods gave him his wish on the 87th minute as the ball scuttled across the goalmouth and into his path with the net as his mercy.

Unfortunately this footballing fairytale wasn't to have a happy ending, as he somehow skied the ball towards somebody's back garden in Tennyson Road.

Dane Smith almost writes himself into Cheadle history

He quickly made amends. Two minutes later he provided a lovely through ball for George Blackwell to slip it in under the keeper and net our sixth; a richly-deserved goal for George as he was desperately unlucky at Daisy Hill.

The ball nestles in the net after George Blackwell scores our sixth

Six different scorers, three from defence...and almost one from a goalkeeper. The (almost) perfect end to what is proving to be a perfect denouement to the season.

We take our proverbial partners for the last waltz at Silsden next Saturday.

TEAM: McIlwaine, Todd, Banda, German, Tongue, Pearson, M Sherrington (Burton), C Sherrington, Magida (Pickering), Webb (Smith), Blackwell. SUBS: Smith (gk), Dunn, Hincks, Pickering, Burton

Atherton LR 0-3 Cheadle Town

Cheadle Town came away from Crilly Park with three points following a comfortable victory against Atherton LR. A brace from Rhys Webb and a wonder solo goal from Thabiso Magida were enough to earn Cheadle Town a morale boosting victory.
 
Cheadle began the game with a lot of early pressure on the Atherton LR defence and were rewarded on 18 minutes when Webb picked up the ball on the edge of the area and cut inside to score via the inside of the post.
 
Cheadle’s lead was doubled on 23 minutes when a Joseph Shaw long ball found Webb who beat the off-side trap and scored with ease past the oncoming keeper.
 
Cheadle finished the half strongly with further chances falling to Matthew German and Thomas Russell.
 
HT: Atherton LR 0 Cheadle Town 2
 
Atherton had their first real chance on 60 minutes, but Cheadle keeper Stephen Piggott was on hand to pull off a good save, which then saw the resulting shot hit the post.
 
With the game drawing to a close, Cheadle sealed the game on 83 minutes when Magida picked up the ball inside the Atherton half before running unchallenged to the edge of the area and firing a low shot into the net – a superb solo goal and contender for Goal of the Season.
 
FT: Atherton LR 0 Cheadle Town 3

Cheadle Town 10-1 Atherton LR

Well, what a day, and what a way to return to winning ways after a run of six matches without one.

Our biggest ever victory in league history and all and certainly our largest lead ever recorded at half-time (8-1), a feat made more remarkable given that it was achieved on what wasn't the best playing surface in the world; at 2.00pm and with the rain still beating down on an already soft turf, there were a few nervous glances towards sky and pitch.

The lack of any surface water meant that the ball still rolled and the game went ahead. The rest is history.

After a nondescript opening eight minutes where both teams were literally finding their footing, a remarkable first half (from a green and black point of view) started to unfold.

Thabiso Magida sent in a first-time cross from the left that could have been headed home by any one of three queuing Cheadle players; first in line was Mike Sherrington who nodded home into the far corner with the keeper stood rooted.

11 minutes: Mike Sherrington again, latching onto a through ball before rounding the keeper and slotting home.

17 minutes: Luke Pearson blasts home a penalty.

22 minutes: Liam Tongue crashes a free-kick off the post but Rick Whyatt is there to mop up the rebound.

27 minutes: Rick Whyatt returns the favour, squaring for Liam Tongue to tap home from close range.

37 minutes: Mike Sherrington gets his hat-trick, deftly flicking home a Liam Tongue free-kick.

40 minutes: Mike Sherrington in for his fourth and Cheadle's seventh, bouncing home a Magida cross from the right.

43 minutes: Liam Tongue just fails to convert a cross from the right but the ball falls to Rick Whyatt who blasts home from close range.

On the stroke of half-time Kristian Evans got LR on the sheet by nodding home a free-kick with LR then continuing to give Steve Piggott something to do after the restart, forcing him to tip a looping header and then a free-kick over the bar.

On the hour mark James Horan came on for Luke Pearson and got straight into the action with our first decent effort of the second half, unfortunately shearing his shot wide after he looked in a good position to score.

Four minutes later and LR were reduced to ten men. Mike Sherrington was through on goal with his shot saved by the keeper. Unfortunately for him his handling of the ball was outside the area and he was, harshly, given his marching orders.

The after effects of this incident weren't over and done with, as the resulting free-kick just outside the area was rifled home by Liam Tongue for Cheadle's ninth.

With eleven minutes to go double figures were achieved as Rick Whyatt bagged his hat-trick by crashing a penalty off the underside of the bar. It could have been eleven if James Horan hadn't scooped his effort wide shortly afterwards.

So, not a bad week. A stirring comeback at promotion favourites Hanley Town in midweek to claim a deserved point and now this, a match where the paying public got ten Cheadle goals for their five pounds sterling.

Four of them from Mike Sherrington. In a week where we have been cursing the loss of his brother Chris to the other side of the Stockport viaduct, Mike has ensured that the surname Sherrington continues to be a feature on the score card.

The king is dead. Long live the king.

TEAM: Piggott, McLaughlin, Pearson (Horan), O'Donnell (Nsimbe), Moore (Halliwell), Dunn, Tongue, Stevenson, Magida, M Sherrington, Whyatt. SUBS: Halliwell, Horan, Nsimbe.

February Preview

January 2016 wasn't much cop: not a solitary league point to our name. Here's hoping February 2016 is a little bit better....

Saturday 6th
Rochdale Town (away)

After four matches on-the-bounce at Park Road it's a relief to be on the road again.

Rochdale Town may be saying the opposite: of the 20 league matches they have played at the time of writing, only 6 have been at The Mayfield so I'm sure they'll only be too glad to be on home turf for a change.

Our record here isn't that bad - only one defeat in our last six visits here - but we are well aware that a poor performance on our part against Rochdale Town will be punished, something that was ably demonstrated by our 0-3 home defeat in the reverse fixture back in autumn.

Previous five seasons at The Mayfield:
2014-15: won 4-2
2013-14: won 2-0
2012-13: lost 0-1
2011-12: won 1-0; won 3-2 (FDT)
2010-11: won 3-1

Tuesday 9th
Hanley Town (away)

A crucial clash.

A quick glance at the table will suggest that Hanley Town hold a massive trump card where the promotion race is concerned: in one of the top two spots anyhow (at the time of writing) and with a hatful of games-in-hand as "insurance".

Our two previous visits here haven't been without angst. On both occasions we got ourselves into good positions (we were 2-0 up last time around), only to be leaving Stoke-on-Trent with nothing but wounds to lick.

After the disastrous January we need to make another statement of intent along the lines of our win at Barnton back in December. Winning here would be just the tonic.

Previous five seasons at Abbey Lane:
2014-15: lost 2-3
2013-14: lost 3-5
2012-13: did not meet
2011-12: did not meet
2010-11: did not meet

Saturday 13th
Stockport Town (home)

Oh joy of joys, a local derby.

If you enjoy the tension of such occasions then go and see a doctor. To be frank, parochial willy-waving is not for me and unfortunately the football itself ends up coming second. Anyhow....

This could end up being another important fixture as far as the play-off shake-up is concerned as Stockport Town are also in the mix. Both sides already have one win to their name in this fixture - Stockport Town taking the First Division Trophy tie and us taking the three points at Lambeth Grove in the league fixture.

Any takers for the draw?

Saturday 20th
Atherton LR (home)

The NWCFL fixture gods have given us a week off on Saturday 27th (thus far - anything can change!) so this will be our swansong for February.

Not much to say about this fixture other than we hope to add LR to our list of teams that we have done the double over this season, thanks to a very comfortable 4-1 win at Crilly Park back in October.

If all of the above four fixtures take place as expected, then there will only be eight league fixtures left. Eight. Yes, the season end is that near already....

Previous five seasons at Park Road:
2014-15: won 2-1
2013-14: drew 1-1
2012-13: won 1-0
2011-12: did not meet
2010-11: did not meet

Atherton LR 1-4 Cheadle Town

That's more like it.

In the previous match report I said there were two things that needed addressing at Crilly Park: the bad run of form and the fact that we haven't won away in the league yet this season. Fair to say that a 4-1 win isn't a bad way to respond.

Shortly after the Vulcan bomber flew over Crilly Park on the 5th minute we sprung into action, Chris Sherrington providing a teasing cross for Rick Whyatt only for the LR keeper to block the shot.

We're used to things flying overhead when at Park Road anyway.....!

Two minutes later we found ourselves ahead. Rick Whyatt turning provider this time, slotting Danny Vincent through on goal whose initial shot hit and then bobbled over the keeper's prone body, allowing Danny to leapfrog him and stroke home into an unguarded net.

Three minutes later and Rick was through on goal himself having latched onto a flick-on header but he shot wide.

Our dominance brought further reward on the 21st minute. Chris Sherrington again providing another teasing cross from the left for Danny Vincent who made no mistake and side-footed home from close range for his second of the game.

LR's only realistic chance in the first half came on the half-hour mark when a cross from the left was side-netted at the far post, one of those efforts that managed to fool a few people into thinking it had actually gone in.

Shortly before half-time we had a great opportunity to go further ahead but Luke Pearson screwed his shot horribly wide when through on goal.

LR were then afforded a spell of their own for the opening part of the second half, one which would see them reduce the arrears on the 56th minute when we switched off somewhat at a corner and allowed Dickinson a free header on goal.

With the surrender of two-goal leads at Ashton Town and Handsworth Parramore still fresh in the memory LR's spell of possession was making yours truly slightly nervous. On 66 minutes both Steve Piggott and thankfully an LR striker completely missed a through ball which didn't help matters one bit.

In hindsight there was nothing to be concerned about as we then took complete control of the game once more from the 70th minute.

Taking advantage of a mistake from the LR left-back, Danny Vincent charged down the right and delivered the perfect ball for Rick Whyatt to plant home from inside the box.

Substitute Rathburn was then through on goal on 78 minutes but saw his effort cleared off the line with us extending the lead even further with six minutes remaining thanks to an outrageous goal.

Seeing the LR keeper off his line and fully 40 yards out on the left of midfield, Luke Pearson unleashed a dipping shot that might already be a contender for our goal of the season.

On either side of that goal were two more that had been disallowed; substitute Liam Tongue the unlucky person on both occasions, wandering into offside positions.

We return home to Park Road this coming weekend when we entertain Holker Old Boys before a busy end to the month with two away trips to Chadderton and Stockport Town before the return fixture against Widnes. Here's hoping this win has signalled an end to the bad run and a return to the form we enjoyed at the start of the season.

TEAM: Piggott, McLaughlin, Pearson, Trucca, Birch, Dunn, Vincent (Rathburn), Hincks, Westmerland (Tongue), Whyatt, Sherrington. SUBS: Rathburn, MacAulay, Tongue.