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Litherland REMYCA 2-0 Cheadle Town
Cheadle Town created enough chances but were short of luck as they fell 0-2 away at promotion-chasing Litherland REMYCA
I'm never too far away from a footballing cliche on here, I admit, but you're just going to have to bear with me once again I'm afraid.
This week's maxim: the 0-2 scoreline didn't really tell the true story.
We created enough chances - whether they were half- or decent - to have got something out of this match.
As early as the third minute Tom Ratican scampered down the left to put in a lovely cross for James Dunn at the far post but he just wasn't long-legged enough to make contact.
Unfortunately the next passage of play saw the hosts go a goal up with their first decent effort on goal.
Possession was carelessly lost in midfield, allowing REMYCA to feed their no11 Alex Ryan down the left who bore down on goal and finished from a tight angle.
On the 15th minute the Ratican-Dunn combination was tried again. This time James managed to get his head to it, forcing a good save from the REMYCA keeper who could only parry it into the path of Luke Cotton...who somehow couldn't get full-purchase on his shot to force it home.
Back down the other end Mr Ratican was on-hand to clear a dangerous ball just in time before Danny Whiting got his body in the way of their no7's effort as he found himself clear following a free-kick.
On the 22nd minute we had another great chance to pull level. Another one of Tom Ratican's deep balls into the box was latched upon by Luke Cotton but he blasted his effort off the underside of the crossbar. The ball was then loose and Rick Whyatt tried to dive-head it home but that was blocked.
Straight down the other end REMYCA's Quirk clipped a neat ball through into the box but the resulting shot was flashed wide with James Dunn then unable to react quick enough to a Chris Sherrington free-kick, seeing the ball hit his feet and sail over.
After the break Danny Whiting had to tip over a Colin Quirk trademark long-ranger over the bar with us then having a handful of chances to draw level once more.
On 51 minutes Danny Wood found himself in a good position on the edge of the area with a clear shot on goal but perhaps hesitated too much in waiting for the ball to sit for him with the REMYCA keeper then making a complete hash of a clearance four minutes later; fortunately for him he was quick enough to react and thus deny Mssrs Cotton and Whyatt what would have been a tap-in.
On 59 minutes Callum Collinson's cross from the right found Rick Whyatt in space but he completely mis-timed his shot with Tom Russell then bursting down the right only to drive over the bar.
REMYCA then had a decent spell with a couple of chances from set pieces.
On 69 minutes they headed a corner ball onto the post with a completely free header being nodded wide on 75 minutes.
Callum Collinson then had a chance from the edge of the box after the keeper had clawed a Tom Russell free-kick into his path with REMYCA then edging ahead further on 83 minutes: a free-kick of their own being met with a header that struck the post with the loose ball hooked home into the top corner by Jason McShane.
A fairly decent match was then ruined by a needless sending off [Tom Russell for us] for both sides as injury time approached; both parties guilty of nothing more than a bit of pushing and shoving.
We're in action again tomorrow evening [Tuesday] as we travel to Abbey Hulton United.
TEAM: Whiting, Nield, Ratican, Russell, Shaw, Harrison, Dunn (Collinson), Wood, Cotton (Ambrose), Whyatt, C Sherrington (Holt). SUBS: Collinson, Ambrose, Holt, Piggott (gk).
Cheadle Town 0-5 Litherland REMYCA
It was a miserable night for Cheadle Town as they conceded five goals without reply at the hands of high-flyers Litherland REMYCA
With Litherland REMYCA chasing Silsden down at the top of the table the "ask" was always going to be that little bit greater on this occasion; some NWCFL experts may have forseen a REMYCA win, therefore, but my God we didn't half make it easy for them.
At half-time we were still in this game by a long chalk. By the 71st minute we weren't.
A second half amalgam of mis-placed passes, easy surrender of possession and a pinch of rotten luck at times meant that REMYCA ran away with the match and then some.
And we had made a bright start with some promising forays into the REMYCA box, one as early as the first minute were Callum Collinson's whipped cross from the right caused mild panic in the REMYCA defence.
On the 9th minute Danny Whiting was called into action as he gathered a far post header following a free-kick from the left before the visitors then went ahead on the 12th minute; Colin Quirk - not for the first time at Park Road in REMYCA colours - arrowing one in from long range.
They were in again down the left on 21 minutes forcing Danny Whiting into another excellent stop before mild confusion reigned down the other end shortly afterwards; the referee had awarded a penalty whilst the linesman had given offside. Unfortunately for us the latter decision was upheld.
Just after the half-hour mark Adam Gardiner was slotted in on the right but his effort was blocked by the keeper before Danny Whiting was busy yet again down the other end, fumbling an effort from a corner and breathing a sigh of relief when it was hacked off the line just in time.
Danny's legs would save us again on the stroke of half-time.
Any hopes of us "still being in this match" were swept away in the space of 14 minutes.
On 57 minutes Colin MacDonald ploughed (the pitch had really cut up by then) his way through the middle via various attempts to stop him before rounding Whiting for an easy finish.
He was through again four minutes later but lobbed his effort wide.
Another two minutes later and REMYCA got their third thanks to that pinch of luck I referred to earlier. A long range effort was deflected out to the right to one of their players, catching our back line flat-footed, where he had all the time in the world to cross for Paul Foy to head home from close range.
Number four came on 71 minutes. As their no11 went down the right he was met by a tackle. Unfortunately it didn't quite do the job as the ricochet off his legs fell perfectly for him and he was able to continue his run on goal and finish.
Danny Whiting came up with another excellent stop to prevent a fifth on 78 minutes but couldn't do anything to stop a heavy defeat become a hammering on 86 minutes when a corner in from the right hit the back of one of our defenders and fell straight to Paul Foy who emphatically slammed home.
In between those two goals Rick Whyatt had stabbed wide after getting on the end of a Danny Wood cross.
Not the best of nights on not the best of surfaces. Again, kudos to our groundsman Phil Mottershead for getting the game on as it was touch-and-go at lunchtime thanks to small areas of standing water.
That's two consecutive home matches without scoring and still only two league wins at Park Road all season. Next up is Alsager Town.
Away. Hurrah.
TEAM: Whiting, Nield, Ratican, Trucca (Delaney), Fleming, Harrison, Collinson (Dunn), Kilheeney, Gardiner (Wood), Whyatt, C Sherrington. SUBS: Wood, Delaney, Dunn, Shaw, Allcock (gk).
Litherland REMYCA 3-3 Cheadle Town
Cheadle Town were denied all three points following a late equaliser by Litherland's Tom Foley.
Cheadle Town were denied all three points following a late equaliser by Litherland's Tom Foley.
It was the hosts who took the lead on 2 minutes when Colin McDonald struck a low shot past debutant keeper Dane Smith. Cheadle equalised on 5 minutes when a Matthew German looping shot from 25 yards ended up in the back of the net with a bemused keeper unaware the ball was back in play.
Cheadle took the lead on 36 minutes when a Chris Sherrington corner was headed back across the goal to the head of Rhys Webb who scored.
HT: Litherland Remyca 1 Cheadle Town 2
Litherland began then second half well and forced Smith into a spectacular save on 48 minutes when he tipped a long range effort onto the bar before the rebound hit the post.
Litherland were rewarded on 50 minutes when James McGrane scored from close range.
Cheadle continued to press for another goal and on 68 minutes German got his second goal following good passing between Flannery and Sherrington that found an unmarked German at the far post to score.
As the game drew to a close, Litherland continued to press for an equaliser and that came on 86 minutes when Foley meets a cross at the far post to share the points.
Cheadle Town 0-3 Litherland REMYCA
Cheadle Town's league campaign got off to the worst start possible as they fell 0-3 at home to Litherland REMYCA.
And for all the happiness that surrounded the win at Penistone on Saturday in glorious sunshine, there was this disappointment underneath thick skies and persistent rain.
Credit to REMYCA: they were direct, efficient, neat-and-tidy...and as the scoreline suggests it paid off in spades as their league campaign, now two games old, has made a promising start.
Us? We just never got going. Never got into the stride that brought its rewards over the weekend. Mis-placed passes. Bad decisions...and, it has to be said, a whiff of rotten luck early in the second half.
Fine margins. With the second half only three minutes old and with us chasing a 0-2 deficit, Liam Tongue attempts an outrageous overhead kick that cannons off the crossbar and is hacked to safety.
If that goes in, yadda yadda yadda...but the direction of plenty of football matches has changed direction when a team has pulled it back to 1-2.
As in Penistone over the weekend, we conceded early, albeit more than 36 seconds had passed on this occasion.
On the 8th minute a cross from the right was hit first-time by Foley and the slight knick it took off a Cheadle defender was enough to flummox Steve Piggott and sent it past him.
Steve was called into action again on the 20th minute, doing well to get down to his right to palm away an effort before he could absolutely nothing about REMYCA's second goal four minutes later: Colin Quirk's measured shot from 25 yards out arrowing into the top corner.
They were then given another chance as their no7 punted over the crossbar when in a good position in the penalty area.
Our chances were restricted to half-ones in the opening 45 minutes.
On 23 minutes Mike Sherrington went on a good run down the left, checked inside but then shot straight at the keeper, with Luke Pearson doing the same with a quickly-taken corner just after the half-hour mark.
We carved out some better efforts in the second half, with Liam's effort proving to be the catalyst.
Just before the hour mark Luke Hincks made the keeper work with a well-struck effort from the edge of the area with James Moore then having our best chance to reduce arrears, placing a free header wide from a corner.
REMYCA then ended the game the stronger, forcing Steve Piggott into a brilliant double save on 74 minutes, clawing the ball from the goal line and then blocking from close range before they wrapped up the three points for sure in injury time, Boyle glancing in a header from a free-kick.
One down, forty-one to go. Forty-one. Still plenty of time yet....!
TEAM: Piggott, McLaughlin, Pearson, Russell, Moore, Dunn, Hincks, Tongue, Noar, M Sherrington, German. SUBS: Horan, Connolly, Whyatt, Shaw.
Cheadle Town 2-4 Litherland REMYCA
Cheadle Town fell to their third straight defeat in all competitions with this 2-4 reverse at home to Litherland REMYCA
If you were a neutral that came to Park Road over the weekend and thought that you had good value for money having seen six goals then I'm sorry to tell you that you were cheated.
Given the number of decent chances that we squandered the scoreline should have been much richer on the goal front.
A lively start saw chances for both sides within the opening ten minutes.
REMYCA were through on goal after just 5 minutes but were stopped by Sacks nicking the ball from the striker's feet. Four minutes later and Richard Whyatt planted a header just over the crossbar down the other end.
Rick was close to opening the scoring for us on 13 minutes but was a matter of inches away from connecting to a Chris Sherrington cross; the first of many chances that would go begging.
The deadlock was broken three minutes later by the visitors when a move down the left saw the ball break to Colin Quirk who bagged smartly from an angle.
On the half-hour mark Tom Elford had to make a block on the line after some hesitancy in the Cheadle defence before Liam Tongue somehow side-footed over the bar from close range.
Another two minutes, another chance, as Sacks finds the ball at his feet from a corner but can't get them sorted quick enough to bundle home.
It was going to be that kind of day....
Another quality corner found nobody on the end of it again just before half time with James Dunn then having to make an excellent stop to prevent REMYCA punishing our profligacy even further....
...which they did a mere minute into the restart; Colin MacDonald heading home a cross from the right.
James Horan headed over from close range on 52 minutes before REMYCA punished us even further, extending the lead on 56 minutes as Wade Muscart finished at the far post.
On the hour mark we finally force the ball home. Dean Nolan had clipped the ball towards the back post only for it to be hacked off the line with Richard Whyatt then flicking home from close range from the resulting corner.
Another goal would make it interesting. Alas, it came from the visitors just two minutes later as MacDonald got his second of the game, latching onto a through ball on the right and drilling home.
The final ten minutes or so saw another flurry of chances for both sides.
Liam Tongue crashed one of his thunderbolts off the post before trying his luck again shortly afterwards, curling this one into the net to reduce the arrears.
Arrears which should have been tightened further by Arnold Nsimbe with five minutes to go. Only he will know how he didn't score from close range after connecting with a cross from the left.
There was still time for REMYCA to hit the crossbar and somehow screw a shot wide when clean through on goal.
After a very successful December, January is proving to be a bit of a nightmare. It's final game sees St Helens Town visit Park Road next Saturday. Here's hoping we can see the month out on a high.
TEAM: Elford, McLaughlin, Pearson, Naughton (Nsimbe), Sacks, Dunn, Magida (Hincks), Tongue, Horan (Nolan), Whyatt, Sherrington. SUBS: Nolan, Nsimbe, Hincks.
Litherland REMYCA 2-1 Cheadle Town
Photos from our first defeat of the season....
Cheadle's unbeaten run was ended at the weekend as a stubborn Litherland side came out victorious in this closely matched game.
With Antony Trucca away on holiday, youngster Harrison Pegler stepped into midfield to form an extremely youthful central midfield alongside Luke Hincks.
The game was fairly uneventful for the opening 30 minutes as neither side could create any clear opportunities. Richard Whyatt was presented with a goal scoring opportunity on 35 minutes as his half-volley went just wide of the post. This was soon followed by a James Horan effort on 38 minutes when his powerful shot rebounded off the crossbar following an excellent cross from Darrhyl Mason.
HT: Litherland Remyca 0 Cheadle Town 0
It was Litherland who took control of the game early in the second half and their pressure was rewarded on 53 minutes when Colin McDonald headed home at the far post following a cross from the right wing. Litherland soon increased their advantage on 55 minutes when Wade Muscart broke free and rounded Stephen Piggot.
Within a matter of a minute on 56 minutes, Cheadle had reduced the arrears as Christopher Sherrington blasted home a free kick.
On 66 minutes, Cheadle were given a lifeline as Litherland missed a penalty.
Cheadle continued to press for the all important equaliser, but failed to beat a stubborn Litherland defence as they were restricted to a couple of long range efforts.
FT: Litherland Remyca 2 Cheadle Town 1
