Press Report 20/2/16

Premier Division

Whaley Bridge remain at the top of the table following a 2-0 win away at Congleton Vale. Knutsford who sit two points behind but with two games in hand, also secured victory as they won 3-1 at home to Poynton, thanks to first half goals from Liam Myers, Scott Beattie and Graham Brotherton.

Styal picked up their third win of the season as they beat Malpas 5-2 away and the three points pull them out of the bottom two having played a number of games more than the teams around them.

Malpas fell behind when poor defending saw the ball headed in from short range after eight minutes. Styal continued to look dangerous going forward and forced a good save from keeper Connor Tinsley. A second goal came about when poor shape left players open and a shot from twenty yards hit the net for 2-0. It looked game over when the away team took a dream 3-0 lead which was fully deserved at the time.

Shortly before the break, Alex Hughes sent a free kick crashing into the net to make it 3-1 and offer Malpas a life-line.

The conditions worsened in the second half but the sides battled on and Malpas pushed hard to get back into the game. A good move down the right wing saw the ball crossed in for Joe Sumner to finish making it 3-2 and game on but two late goals from Styal secured the victory which could prove significant as the season progresses.

Linotype CHN returned to winning form with a 3-2 home win over Garswood United as Leon Grandison, Nehru McKenzie and Dean McGregor hit home. Despite sitting in fifth place, current champions Linotype CHN could still be title contenders should they win all of their four games in hand.

Sandbach United finished 4-2 winners at home against Rudheath Social as goals from Cameron Mitchell, Dereece Gardner, Kris Stockton and Tom Watkin leave the side in eleventh place.

Crewe bounced back from last weeks defeat to beat Greenalls PSO 5-2 at home through a hat trick from Mike Blundell and goals from Stevie McNicholl and George Ward.

League One

Grappenhall Sports moved up to eighth with a hard fought 2-1 win at home against Golborne Sports as goals from Will Hewitt and Matt Bush cancelled out Josh Taffe’s strike for Golborne.

Pilkington climbed to fifth in the table following their 4-3 home win over Egerton. Egerton took the game to Pilkington from the first minute and kept their opponents pinned in their own half for the opening ten minutes, during which time they had two half chances and two clear cut chances to take the lead. Only poor finishing denied them an early lead.

In the 13th minute Pilkington had their first real attack and somewhat against the run of play a diagonal ball across the Egerton box avoided the centre-half and was contested by the full back and Pilkington’s midfield dynamo Andy Mines got there first and dispatched the ball neatly between keeper and near post.

They say you’re at your most vulnerable when you’ve just scored and both teams experienced this phenomenon when a flurry of three goals in four minutes saw Egerton equalise, Pilkington retake the lead and then Egerton to equalise for a second time to make it 2-2.

Goals from Egerton’s Andrew Brown and Christopher Trowbridge sandwiched a goal from Pilkington’s Jake Worrall providing this flurry between the 32nd and 34 minutes.
If not in possession, then by chances alone Egerton had shaded the first half by 10 attempts to Pilkington’s 4.

In the second half both teams clearly tightened up some of their defensive frailties but it was Pilkington who reclaimed the lead in the 69th minute when two shots on goal had been well blocked by the Egerton defence, but the third attempt fell to substitute Josh Woodhall who dispatched a low shot past keeper Christopher Davies.

Egerton, clearly not a team to lie down, persisted and when Rory Pownall, a constant driving force, went on a foray deep into Pilkington’s half he eventually won a free kick. Rory dusted himself down and positioned himself in the penalty box. The free kick was well delivered and he nodded home with some ease to make it 3-3.

With 5 minutes remaining, a great ball from midfield found an advancing Matty Taylor and in a one on one position he placed his shot passed the keeper to make it 4-3.
Egerton were still not beaten and pressed hard in the last few minutes for an equaliser but Pilkington held out for the 4-3 win. It should be noted that the game was played in a good spirit in very difficult conditions and Egerton’s contribution to this must not be understated.

JA Walton Challenge Cup

Wythenshawe Town made it three out of three in group A as they beat Halebank 4-1 away to retain top spot. James Green, Jake Gregory, Ashley McGrath and Tom Hendley all scored as current holders Wythenshawe continue their battle to retain the trophy.

League Two

AFC Macclesfield extended their lead at the top to seven points with an impressive 7-0 win at home against Cheadle Town Reserves. With only four minutes on the clock, Macclesfield got the early break when the league’s top goal scorer Greg Mathers, reacted quickly to an ill judged Cheadle back pass to make the score 1-0.

Macclesfield’s second goal wasn't far behind when Jonny Cavanagh delivered a perfectly waited pass to Mather’s feet. He controlled the ball with his left foot and guided it into the net with his right. The home side were dominating the play and on twenty minutes, James Wheeler found himself in acres of space in the Cheadle penalty area and with a pin point pass, found Jack Banister who timed his run to perfection to tap the ball past the Cheadle keeper.

On the half hour, Mathers grabbed his hat-trick when he forced the keeper into rushing his kick. Mathers intercepted his clearance and run the ball into an empty net. Shortly before half time, Macclesfield made it five. After a scramble in the box, the ball landed at the feet of Mathers who volleyed the ball into the Cheadle net, giving the keeper no chance.

The second half began with Macclesfield continuing to press the Cheadle defence and their efforts were rewarded when the referee awarded a free kick 30 yards out from the Cheadle goal. Sam Williamson delivered a delightful ball to the far post and Mathers was on hand to grab his fifth and Macclesfield's sixth with another thundering volley.

Matt Horton entered the action half way through the second half and made it seven for Macclesfield. Mathers this time turned provider and Hortons perfectly timed run put him one on one with the advancing keeper, he delicately chipped the ball over the keeper and into the back of the net.

Mersey Valley drew level on points with opponents Warrington Town Reserves after running out 3-2 winners. Kyle Watson opened the scoring for Mersey Valley in the fourth minute but his effort was cancelled out by a strike from Dylan Glass before half time. Watson struck again in the second half before Kieran Whitehead bagged the winner for Valley, despite a second from Glass.

There were goals galore as Moore United entertained Unicorn Athletic in a ten goal thriller played out in monsoon conditions. It was the away side that opened the scoring in the 7th minute when Dave Balmer in the Moore goal slipped and gifted Jimmy Pearce a tap in.

Ten minutes later the Unicorn keeper found himself in a similar situation at the other end and Joe Holt punished him to draw Moore level. Within two minutes Moore were in the lead when Willott slotted through to Holt who squared for Wakefield to slot into an empty net for 2-1.

The 22nd minute saw Unicorn draw level again when a shot from outside the box was too powerful for Balmer to hold onto and Pearce added his second from close range from the rebound.

Shortly before the break Unicorn cleared their lines but Boden sent the ball back into the danger area where Holt controlled it well and rounded the keeper before firing home from a tight angle to put Moore back in front at half time.

Not long after the restart, Wakefield played a ball through the defence that Holt ran onto and raced away before placing the ball past the keeper for his hat trick.

On the hour mark Unicorn responded with a peach of a goal from just outside the box as Tony Arnold scored his first of the game to make it 4-3. Moore responded with a beauty of their own as Adam Jones hit a screamer into the top corner from 35 yards out to regain Moore’s two goal advantage.

In the 75th minute Unicorn were awarded a penalty which Arnold duly dispatched from the spot to make it 5-4 and late into stoppage time captain Will Aldred headed home a corner to steal a point at the death.

Reserve League One

Linotype CHN moved up to second spot following a convincing 4-1 win away at Garswood United. Jordan Thomson, Jack Taylor, Ahmed Elbahrawy and player/manager Wayne Grandison all made the score sheet in a win that puts them six points behind leaders Whaley Bridge, with a game in hand before the two sides meet next week.

Billinge continued their run of form with a 4-0 win away at Daten as Jordan Corcoran and Ryan Sephton both scored twice to move their side up to fifth in the league.

Reserve League Two

Rylands slipped to their second defeat of the season as they fell 5-2 at home against Mersey Valley Development Squad. James Flynn scored a hat trick while Zydane McCarthy-Brooks bagged a brace. The win moves Mersey Valley up to fifth, while Rylands remain three points clear of second place West Didsbury A with a game in hand.