West Didsbury & Chorlton 2-1 Cheadle Town

No matter how many times you close your eyes tight and then open them again, this bad start to the 2019-20 campaign hasn’t gone away I’m afraid.

Another day, another dollar, another match where we haven’t been able to put a ‘W’ on the string of results. The start of an NWCFL season is always busy with two matches a week in August but perhaps it’s a good thing we go again as soon as Friday evening.

Uncharacteristically for us we took the lead in a match but then went on to lose it, coming oh-so close to coming away with a point towards the end.

Paul Sunderland

The opening 25 minutes of this match was as drab as the evening sky above it; neither team seemingly bothered to carve out a clear-cut chance for themselves.

But then came the first shot in anger as a West through-ball saw Danny Whiting facing a one-on-one situation; thankfully he did enough to put the player off and force him wide and the resulting cross was volleyed high and wide.

Three minutes later and Danny was called into action again, making a superb double-save to deny a long-range shot and then block the rebound.

On 35 minutes a Cheadle breakaway saw us take the lead. Pat Davin cut loose down the right and had acres of space to plant a teasing cross to the far post where an unmarked Ryan Shenton was waiting to nod home.

Unfortunately our lead only lasted six minutes. We failed to clear our lines effectively and the loose ball was piledriven from the right. Danny Whiting did very well to parry the shot but could do nothing about Matt Boland’s acrobatic volley from the edge of the box to draw the match level.

As half-time approached another fluffed clearance gave West the opportunity to snatch the lead, but Danny Whiting was equal to another fierce drive from the edge of the area.

Patrick Davin

We had a decent opening 15 minutes of the second half in which we had opportunities to regain the lead.

The West keeper had to tip a snapshot over the bar before he then almost gifted us a goal just before the hour mark; his rushed clearance allowing Pat Davin in whose tackle sent the ball into mid air with all manner of chaos ensuing. An Ash Curran header didn’t quite have enough power behind it and the West keeper was eventually able to recover the ball.

Just two minutes later Curran sped down the right and zipped a ball in for Pat Davin who slid in and stabbed the ball just wide.

West then had vast control of the remainder of the match , going ahead on the 64th minute after a long throw-in found Dylan Moloney who made space for himself in the box before rifling home.

The hosts then clattered the crossbar on 74 minutes before we had one last chance shortly afterwards to level matters; Pat Davin’s square ball finding Aaron Taylor on the edge of the area only for his side-footed effort to be saved by the keeper’s legs.

West kept pushing for the third in the final ten minutes and came closest on 83 minutes when a free-kick was headed onto the crossbar and somehow not bundled home in the resulting melee.

With little else to say it’s onto Friday evening and the search for that elusive first win of the season….

TEAM: Whiting, Machado Le-Gal, Lunt, Clarke, Johnson, Gaskin, Phelan, Shenton, Davin, Sunderland, Curran. SUBS: Naughton, Piggott (gk), Hopkins, Rezayan, Taylor.

Cheadle Town 2-0 West Didsbury & Chorlton

Another good run-out. Another step towards the exorcism of ring-rustiness.

A well-balanced first half saw only a handful of chances.

Danny Wood was the first to show when his rasping drive forced a good save from the West' keeper on 22 minutes.

Ten minutes later and perhaps we should have gone in front but the keeper was equal to Rick Whyatt's effort after he had capitalised on some hesitant defending.

Ryan Allcock was called into action just two minutes later, pushing a long-ranger from Matty Kay around the post.

The second half was a bit more productive where chances were concerned.

West's no11 was through on the left on 53 minutes but could only clip his effort wide with Mike Sherrington then being inches away from connecting to a gorgeous cross from Aaron Fleming.

Back down the other end Allcock was on-hand again to deny West', this time stopping Tom Bailey with a fine block with West' then dominating the possession for quite a while.

During this period they saw a header crash back off the underside of the crossbar and forced us into some rather hasty defensive work in the area as all manner of limbs were trying to scramble the ball away on 76 minutes.

But then the tide suddenly swung back in our favour.

Rick Whyatt was through one-on-one again on 78 minutes but saw his effort blocked before Mike Sherrington found himself in a similar position on the left two minutes later; his shot was also blocked with the loose ball falling to the feet of George Clary who unfortunately mis-kicked and the chance was gone.

Enter the head of substitute Luke Cotton.

On 83 minutes it guided a whipped ball from Mike Sherrington into the corner of the net - with Luke somehow arcing his body shape to connect with a ball that was effectively behind him - and sixty seconds later it rose majestically to nod over the advancing keeper for Cheadle's second.

Just one more pre-season run-out before the real business starts and plenty for the management team to think about re selection for the starting XI on 12th August at Atherton LR.

STARTING XI: Allcock, O'Donnell, Fleming, Russell, Harrison, Shaw, Ambrose, Wood, M Sherrington, Whyatt, C Sherrington. SUBS (used on a rolling basis): Ratican, Brocklehurst, Christopher, Clary, Dunn, Hincks, Rigby (gk)

Cheadle Town 2-0 West Didsbury & Chorlton

The eagle-eyed spectator who knows WD&C's squad like the back of their hand would be quick to tell you that it wasn't a full-strength outfit but nonetheless this was still a decent victory over a team that gave us a good workout; at full-time the cheeks were puffed out that little bit fuller and the sweat glistened on the foreheads that little bit more markedly.

There was no five-goal haul this time either, but that was largely down to the performance of the WD&C keeper in the first half; easily the man of the match in the opening 45 minutes.

He was first called into action in the 9th minute. Liam Tongue's cross from the left was met first-time by Mike Sherrington and 'West's custodian was there to parry with an excellent reaction stop.

Liam was instrumental again just after the quarter-hour mark, driving in from the left to Tabby Magida who stabbed his effort inches wide.

The WD&C keeper then kept out two efforts in quick succession. First he came out quick to thwart Sam Noar who was bearing down on goal and then beat away a fierce Liam Tongue piledriver.

On the half hour Tab Magida then cut in from the left only to shoot straight at the keeper with our pressure finally counting on the 34th minute.

Again the keeper made an excellent save. He somehow managed to get his hands onto Sam Noar's header after he had connected with a Luke Hincks cross from the left but he could do nothing about Liam Tongue gobbling up the loose ball and tapping home from close range.

Just three minutes later and the 'keeper was rounded by Tab after he had latched onto a delightful through ball from Luke Hincks but then made a great recovery to deny a goalscoring opportunity.

There was time before the break for Liam Tongue to be denied twice, once by an excellent save and the other by his slight innacuracy.

The second half couldn't have been any different from the first. Chances were at a premium and it ended up being a scrappy affair, with the only chance of note coming nine minutes from time that saw our lead extended; Liam Tongue collecting a looping through ball and tucking home from close range.

The final pre-season workout comes tomorrow evening [Tuesday] when Northern Premier League 1 side Glossop North End come to 'Town. And then it starts for real....

STARTING XI: Jupp, McLaughlin, Pearson, Russell, Moore, Shaw, M Sherrington, Tongue, Noar, Hincks, Magida. SUBS: Ward, Dunn, Connolly.