Cheadle Town 2-2 Stone Dominoes

Cheadle picked up their first league point and got their first league goals with this hard-earned 2-2 draw against Stone Dominoes.

Arguably the visitors from Staffordshire had the better of the first-half and were good value for their 1-0 lead at the break. They fired their first shot across Cheadle's bows as early as the 4th minute when a shot flew just wide across Mellor's goal. The Cheadle 'keeper was called into more direct action on the 10th minute when he superbly beat away a shot from an advancing Stone striker.

Cheadle got into the action on the quarter-hour mark when Michael Myers latched onto one of Brocky's crosses and just flicked it over the bar. Just four minutes later and Stone were ahead. MacDonald's cross-field pass only found a Stone midfielder who advanced on the Cheadle defence and threaded it left where a striker was on hand to guide it wide of Mellor's hands and into the corner of the net. Cheadle could have been on level terms just a minute later when Arron Riley stole onto a through ball but was tackled just as he was about to let rip with a shot. Half-time, 1-0 to Stone.

The second-half was one of limited chances and action until the 64th minute when Mellor made another superb stop. At the same time Matty Smith came on for McDonagh and Cheadle's increased graft, grit and determination would start to pay off thereafter.

With just a quarter of an hour to go, Cheadle were deservedly level. Matty Smith tossed in a throw that was headed on by Arron Riley. The ball eventually fell to Michael Myers who spun and lashed the ball into the net.

Cheadle's tails were up. With four minutes remaining and with the Stone defence appealing for offside, Michael Myers had all the time in the world to measure up and slot the ball under the Stone 'keeper.

Alas, Cheadle's lead was to last just two minutes. Barry Cotterill was one-on-one with a Stone striker for a ball heading back to Mellor's net. He had two choices: to head it back to Mellor or to try and deal with it himself. He chose the latter and got it wrong. With Mellor already someway off his line ready to come and collect the ball, the Stone player had the easy task of lofting the ball over his net for the equaliser. The two extra points that Cheadle had up to that point melted away in the cheers of the Stone players and bench.

Cheadle's graft in the second half got them what they deserved - the first league points on the board...and the first league goals. Michael Myers atoned for his two misses against Padiham with this double tonight. Onwards we go....

Photos (not many, I'm afraid) can be seen by clicking here

TEAM: Mellor, Clarke, Hussain, Cotterill, A Roberts, Brocklehurst, Riley, MacDonald (Flanagan), McDonagh (Smith), Myers, Carpenter. Subs: Smith, Flanagan, Logan, B Roberts