Ashton Town 0-1 Cheadle Town

In the end it took an own goal, but they all count. Cheadle picked up only their second away win of the season with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Ashton Town. The following match report is courtesy of Paul Lynch....


I was a bit apprehensive going to the game after our trouncing at the hands (or feet!) of Kirkham and Wesham, then I thought it was maybe a chance for us to get that game out of our system and bounce back with a result today and basically that's what happened! OK, so we were a little fortunate and had a bit of the luck that normally deserts us. But maybe we deserved it - as the saying in football goes ''you make your own luck,'' and we did.

It was a really entertaining game with both teams giving it their best, then there was the weather to contend with: rain, hail and some sunny spells all at once.

The team that Trev and Steve put out was not a lot different to the K and W game, but we had taken about 8 defenders with us - so it looked to me like we were going for a draw at best. Adam Roberts was back in centre of defence alongside Barry Cotterill and Neil Logan and Scott Clarke and Ben Roberts playing wing backs, Arron Riley and Brad Fallows were in centre mid and we had three upfront in Carl Buchanan, Scott 'The Wasp' Flanagan and Mike Myers.

We started well and after 3 minutes a cross from Arron Riley was met by Brad Fallows and the Ashton keeper made a good save, then a huge clearance from Baz Cotterill almost bounced over the said keeper, then Arron had a chance but shot wide after a good run and at this point we were playing well and deserved to be in front - which we were on the 18th minute when the unfortunate Ashton number 10, Martin Rigby, put past his own keeper, whilst intercepting a good pass from Myers intended for Scott Flanagan.

Ashton would have been level on 35 minutes but for a great save from our keeper Anthony O'Keefe, who kept out a McNally free kick and then 6 minutes later, saved again from the same player. Just before half time there was a clash of heads between the Ashton keeper and our Brad Fallows, which Brad seemed to come off the worse with a cut head and we were down to ten men until the half closed.

The second half opened with Brad wearing a head bandage and Ashton in the ascendency, O'Keefe was on hand to save from Paul Crewe and a few minutes later he saved from McNally again. Trev and Steve had reverted to a 4-5-1 formation, so we had surrendered a lot of the pitch to Ashton this half, with us trying to catch them on the break, knowing they had to attack us to equalise.

On 65 minutes, O'Keefe again kept us in the game, with a tip over the bar from a Rigby header, as he tried to make amends for the own goal. Then on 75 minutes, we could have been two up, as Myers put Flanny through with a one on one with the Ashton Keeper, but he shot wide and in the last 15 minutes we were hanging on as Ashton went for the point, Trev and Steve brought on Sam Hall for Flanny and Steve Moores for Mike Myers and we managed to see the game out 1-0, but it was a close thing as Arron Riley headed off the line with our keeper beaten in the 92nd minute. Phew!

So we are off to Bootle next - Come on Cheadle!

TEAM: O'Keefe, Clarke, B Roberts, Cotterill, A Roberts, Fallows, Riley, Logan, Buchanan, Myers (Moores), Flanagan (Hall). Subs: Hall, Moores

Saturday's Opponents: Ashton Town

Polardin is too depressed to offer any words of wisdom on Wednesday's 0-8 drubbing and my other source of match reports, Paul Lynch, didn't go, so if you don't mind I'll sweep that match under the carpet, pretend it never happened and move swiftly on.

Ashton Town. Another match I can't attend; given the fact we've shipped 22 goals in our last 4 away matches, perhaps that's a blessing in disguise. It also means I'm still yet to visit Edge Green Street on my Cheadle travels.

Up until very recently, Ash' Town were the team we were hoping to catch in the league. Not any more. They are now 10 points ahead of us thanks to a run of four matches undefeated, the last three of which have all been victories with the most notable being a 3-1 away win at Ashton Athletic.

We've already had more than our fair share of Ashton Town this season. We played them twice in near succession back in September where we knocked them out of the FA Cup with them reciprocating by shoving us out of the FA Vase with a last-minute winner. Then came the league match at park Road where a Cheadle Town squad down to its bare bones put in an excellent performance to collect the three points.

At this point I usually start with "As for Cheadle....", but I really don't know what to offer. I'm stuck. I'll take a draw, put it that way....

Come on Cheadle!

Last season: Ashton Town 3-2 Cheadle Town

Cheadle Town 2-0 Ashton Town

A superb strike from Arron Riley and a Deano penalty got Cheadle back on track with this thoroughly deserved win.

Cheadle had the better of the game's goalworthy opportunities and Arron's goal that opened the scoring on the hour mark was rich reward for their efforts up to that point. Heathy sent over a high cross from the right that was cleared only as far as Arron and his left boot; the connection he made for the volley was true, thus sending the ball screaming over the 'keepers' head and right into the top corner of the net. A worthy contender for 'goal of the season'.

Deano had made a similarly clean strike of the ball after just 15 minutes but his left-footed effort smacked against the post; Brad Brokenbrow was bundled over in his attempts to follow up, but no penalty was given. That rattling of the woodwork was the notable event of a brisk opening quarter of an hour, even if neither side really troubled any of the goalkeepers.

Deano was unlucky again on 39 minutes when he was put through by Ben Roberts, only to see the ball snatched away from his feet at the last minute. Both teams went in at half-time at 0-0.

Ashton Town - as Blackpool had done last week - started the second half with some half-chances. On 47 minutes they hooked a corner just over the crossbar and were perhaps unlucky not to get a penalty.

But Cheadle weren't in the mood for letting the visitors slide their way back into this match. Up the other end just a minute later, Arron was put through and only managed to stab his shot straight into the keeper's hands. He was to make up for it with his rocket shot that put Cheadle into the lead.

Mike Myers had a stinging shot expertly tipped over by the 'keeper on 70 minutes before Deano's penalty put the game out of Ashton's reach seven minutes later; Brad Brokenbrow chased what seemed like a lost cause into the penalty box and was bundled over.

Deano was left cursing the woodwork yet again on 86 minutes as he went one-on-one with the 'keeper but it wasn't to matter in the end. Cheadle - down to the bare-bones in terms of availability of players today - worked hard and played some excellent stuff.

Three points richly deserved.

Today's photos are here (not many, I'm afraid....)

TEAM: Mellor, Heath, B Roberts, Clark, A Roberts, Brocklehurst, Riley, Hussain, Myers, Martin, Brokenbrow.

Saturday's Opponents: Ashton Town

After two virtually back-to-back meetings in the FA Cup (we won 3-0) and then the FA Vase (they won 3-2) back at the start of the season, Cheadle can finally get down to some bread-and-butter league action against Ashton Town this Saturday.

Our visitors are only two places above us but crucially - if looking at the spread of league points is your thing - are four points ahead, so there will be no leapfrogging going on should Cheadle manage the victory. However, a win would choke the growth of any points chasm that would mean that Cheadle would be increasingly destined to finish in the bottom half of the table. Have a look at the league table and you'll see what I mean. Hopefully.

If you're coming along to the match then we're back to a 3.00pm kick-off. Come on Cheadle!

Cheadle Town 2-3 Ashton Town

A last-minute Ashton Town goal dumped Cheadle out of the FA Vase and exacted cold revenge for their FA Cup defeat earlier in the month.

Without three key players - Deano, Mac and Carpy - Cheadle were always going to have it a bit tougher today. However, it was they who drew first blood. A rather colourless first 15 minutes was broken by the Andy Lindon goal when he collected an Arron Riley flick-on and, whether he meant it or not, sailed the ball over the Ashton 'keeper whilst positioned on the right wing.

Ashton Town got back on even terms on 24 minutes when a teasing left-wing cross was side-footed in past Mellor.

Cheadle missed a glorious chance to go back into the lead four minutes later when Carl Buchanan blasted a shot against the 'keeper's body, only to see the rebound ballooned horrendously wide by McDonagh.

After that it was Ashton Town asking most of the questions. On 34 minutes a cross from the right was just headed over the bar and on the stroke of half-time, another header got a little bit closer when it struck the crossbar.

By this point, Cheadle were down to ten men as Heathy got involved in a tussle with an Ashton player and ended up swinging a wild punch at him (which fortunately for the Ashton player didn't connect).

And that's all I saw as at half-time I had to leave. At that point the tie was starting to fray at the edges for Cheadle as they were down to ten men and Ashton Town were looking the more likely team to score again....which they did, twice, after Arron Riley had got Cheadle back into the lead on the 50th minute. Four minutes later, Ashton converted a penalty before they snatched the win in the 90th.

Ah well. That's the Vase campaign over and out. Onwards to the FA Cup next Saturday where the squad can pick themselves up again at Dinnington...

Photos from the day can be seen by clicking here.

TEAM: Mellor, Heath, B Roberts, Cotterill, A Roberts, Brocklehurst, Riley, Buchanan, Lindon, McDonagh, Hussain. Subs: Flanagan, Atkinson, Logan

Saturday's Opponents: Ashton Town

In a secret office high up in the sinister vertical reach of SK8 Tower, Dr Cheadle sits on his plush black leather chair, stroking his white persian cat that's sat on his lap. As he lights up another cuban cigar he swivels round to answer the knock on his door. It's 3.00pm on Saturday 22nd September, and his latest business appointment has turned up:

"Ah, Ashton Town, we meet again...."

Another Saturday, another cup match for the Cheadle. Cup Month: Chapter Four sees the return of Ashton Town to Park Road, this time to do battle in the FA Vase 2nd Qualifying Round. Naturally, whether Cheadle will repeat their 3-0 victory in the FA Cup remains to be seen, but whoever walks away with the spoils from Saturday's match will face an away trip to Hallam or Winsford United in the First Round Proper of the competition.

Since last time, Ashton Town have played out two defeats and the one victory - with the three points being collected in an impressive 2-1 away win at Bootle - and find themselves in 13th position in the Div 2 table.

I'm only going to see the first half of this match before I have to disappear, so the resulting match report will be a Pole/Polardin hybrid. I'll have to take as many photos as I can during the first 45 minutes.

Ashton Town will be busting for some sort of revenge, so Cheadle had better beware. No complacency please, lads.

Come on Cheadle!

Cheadle Town 3-0 Ashton Town

Three excellent second-half goals gave Cheadle their first win of the season and propelled them into the next round of the FA Cup.

Despite Cheadle enjoying the larger share of the possession in the first-half, it was one of very few clear-cut chances for them. In fact it was the visitors who had the two best chances of the opening period: on 32 minutes they had a shot that struck the foot of the post and four minutes later our 'keeper Mellor superbly palmed away a close-range drive. That was pretty much that. Half-time, 0-0.

Ashton seemed to come out of the traps quicker for the opening handful of minutes in the second half but without garnering any shots on target or troubling Mellor any more than they had done in the first half. Cheadle then started to enjoy the possession again and made the first breakthrough in the 55th minute; Andy Lindon delivered a cross from the left that was met by Arron Riley who flicked it mid-air over the head of the Ashton 'keeper.

Seven minutes later and Andy Lindon was instrumental again. He collected the ball on the left, moved inside and drilled a shot into the corner of the net from 18 yards out. Cheadle were two-up and looking comfortable.

Matty Smith chipped wide when put through on 82 minutes and Andy Lindon saw a turn-and-shot run just wide of the post towards the final minutes. However, the victory was made complete by an early contender for the goal of the season.

With what was to prove the last kick of the game, Johnny Hussain curled an absolute belter into the top-corner of the net from about 20 yards out.

On the whole, a well-deserved £1,000 pay cheque from the FA and a trip to Atherton Collieries in two weeks' time. What perfect timing to get your first win of the season. And anyhow, I told you it was Cheadle's turn to win against Ashton Town, didn't I....?

Photos from the day can be seen by clicking here

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

Saturday's Opponents: Ashton Town

Here it comes - cup month.

Saturday: Ashton Town in the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup. Next Saturday: St Helens Town in the 1st Qualifying Round of the FA Vase. The Saturday after that: Bacup Borough or Atherton Collieries away in the 1st Qualifying Round of the FA Cup...but only if we beat Ashton Town. The Saturday after that: Ashton Town (again) in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA Vase at home...but only if we beat St Helens Town. The following Wednesday: Congleton Town at home in the 1st Round of the Cheshire Senior Cup. Got that? Good.

It'd be nice to have that "cup month" but first we've got to overcome the first item in that paragraph: Ashton Town.

They were nowt but a regal pain in the arse for Cheadle last season. We only got one league point from them (a 2-3 defeat away and a 3-3 draw at home) and they also put us out of the Division Two Trophy after an oft-postponed fixture that was finally switched to Park Road; on one of the most miserable evenings I have had following Cheadle Town, in front of the lowest crowd at Park Road last season and on a bitterly cold night in late December when most (sensible) people were in the warmth of their homes flicking through their double-editions of the Radio Times, Cheadle might as well have not turned up and surrendered to a 0-2 home defeat.

If you read the first paragraph again you will see that Ashton Town have been granted a second opportunity to be betes noire par excellence on Cheadle's season as they could potentially put us out of two cup competitions in a space of a month. But what goes around, comes around. It's Cheadle's turn this season...and it would be a perfect time to get that first win under our belts.

Come on Cheadle!

Cheadle Town 3-3 Ashton Town

Cheadle staged a late fightback to earn a richly-deserved point in this six-goal thriller.

Despite the six goals, it ended up 0-0 at half-time. Chief contributor to this statistic was the Ashton Town 'keeper who made a hatful of astonishing world-class saves; without them Cheadle would have been away-and-gone by half-time. On 15 minutes he blocked a point-blank effort from Brocky; on 24 minutes he did enough to put Deano off from scoring as he rolls his shot just wide of the post after being put through one-on-one with the 'keeper; on 35 minutes he made a superb one-handed save from Brocky's header; on the stroke of half-time he palmed away a stinging piledriver from Lindon. You get the point - he was starting to get right on our nerves. Given that, and the fact that Heathy had to be replaced early due to an injury, you got the feeling it wasn't going to be Cheadle's day.

Just as they did in Eccleshall last week, Cheadle were caught cold at the start of the second half. Ashton went forward, the ball spun up to Howard who hit a clean and fast daisy-cutter into the Cheadle net. A minute later and the Ashton 'keeper made another one-handed save. The Pole and Polardin heads were beginning to shake with disbelief. Another incredible save from Deano after 52 minutes and the disbelief was starting to turn into foul language!

Just to rub things in, it got worse for Cheadle on the 63 minute mark. Howard - him again - arrowed a lovely free-kick into the roof of the net. Two-nil down...and surely down-and-out.

It remained that way until about 15 minutes to go, when all manner of goal mayhem broke loose. Deano got Cheadle back into it with the club's first converted penalty this season - I managed to get this on my camera. (I'll post the video once I've got it uploaded to YouTube). However, just as if he hadn't annoyed us enough, Howard got his hat-trick five minutes later when he cut in from the right and planted a shot wide of Mellor's grasp and into the net. 1-3 down and with 13 minutes remaining: surely that was it?

Au contraire. Cheadle are made of sterner stuff at the moment. Before we could lament another defeat by Ashton Town, Arron Riley had collected the ball straight from the kick-off, ran the entire length of the Ashton half and tucked a shot under the 'keeper's body.

Game on. Cheadle laid siege on the Ashton net and forced a series of corners towards the final minutes of the match. One of them was to produce the equaliser as Kempo rose and planted a header into the top corner. Not that things were quite over as Mellor made a great save to deny an Ashton winner in injury time.

It may have been two points dropped but a draw was the very least Cheadle deserved. £3.50 to watch a match like this - that's value with a capital 'V', my friends....

TEAM: Mellor, A Roberts, McDonagh, Brocklehurst (B Roberts), Kempton, Smith, Heath (D Martin), Lindon, Flanagan (Stewart), Hussain, Riley. Subs: D Martin, Stewart, B Roberts.

Tomorrow's Opponents: Ashton Town

For what seems like - and probably is - the umpteenth time, I'm writing a "Tomorrow's Opponents: Ashton Town" post.

It's fair to say that they've been a bit of a thorn in the side for Cheadle Town this season; we lost the away league match 2-3 back in November and they even had the temerity to knock us out of the Division Two Trophy at Park Road after the original tie had been postponed twice and the venue had been switched!

Ashton Town come to us four places and four points above us and on the back of a 2-1 away win in their Boxing Day derby at Ashton Athletic. Their two previous wins against us this season gives them the psychological advantage.

Their mission, should the Cheadle Town squad choose to accept it, is their first back-to-back wins in the league this season. Come on Cheadle!

Cheadle Town 0-2 Ashton Town

[sigh] Cheadle lost their last chance of any silverware this season as they were turfed out of the Div 2 Trophy with this 0-2 reversal at Park Road last night.

Chances were limited for both sides in the first period of the first 45 minutes, with Scott Flanagan lashing wide after a poor clearance from the Ashton 'keeper after 15 minutes being the only real opportunity of note. On the 30 minute mark, Cheadle had their best spell of the entire game and should have been at least a goal clear. Deano wrestled the ball off an Ashton defender but shot wide; two minutes later Arron Riley saw a long-range drive saved by the 'keeper and then - after a delicious cross from Andy Lindon and with not a single Ashton defender near him - opted for a stooping header. It was the wrong choice as the ball spun off the top of his head and rolled wide.

As is the case in football, sometimes you pay for not putting your chances away. And so it came to pass that, after 43 minutes, Ashton went ahead with a penalty. Half-time, 0-1.

And that was pretty much it from Cheadle as Ashton had the better chances in the second half. Mellor superbly beat away a shot on the hour mark and then saw an effort strike his post two minutes later after an Ashton forward was put through on goal. He could do nothing about Ashton's second on 75 minutes; a cross came in from the right and was met by a Cheadle defender (I think it was Cotterill) and Ashton's Bulloch, who got to the ball first and poked it past the advancing Mellor and into the corner of the net.

The game then went into a rather unsettled phase as discipline was lost around the pitch with minor squabbles, a situation that wasn't helped by one of the linesmen hell-bent on winding Deano up. The way he spoke to him was bang out of order: "shut up, Deano, shall I go and get my hanky?" was one of his lines, and don't be confused about his use of "Deano" either, thinking that this was a bit of "banter" between friends - the linesman doesn't know him from Adam! It was totally unnecessary.

Cheadle went out with a flourish right at the end. Deano saw his well-taken free-kick beaten clear by the 'keeper and from the resulting corner, one of those scrambles-in-the-box resulted in the 'keeper clearing a shot off the line.

But it was too late. The final whistle went and the last flickering light of Cheadle's season was switched off, as was the chance for me to return to Winsford armed with every ounce of controlled aggression that I can muster. Good luck to Ashton Town in the quarter-finals next February.

Merry bloody Christmas.

Team: Mellor, McDonagh, B Roberts (Stewart), Cotterill, A Roberts, Smith, Riley, Brocklehurst, Flanagan, D Martin, Lindon. Subs: Street, Stewart, Clark

Tomorrow's Opponents: Ashton Town

Maybe, just maybe this game will get played tomorrow.

Goodness me, what to say about this match that I haven't said already, only to be thwarted by the weather. Actually, don't mention "the weather" to Ashton Town at the moment; if you look at the NWCFL website you'll see the words "waterlogged pitch" underneath all of their matches stretching back to 18th November - the last time that they kicked a ball.

A-ha...they might be a bit ring-rusty, then...and they've got to play the tie at Park Road...and Deano's back for the Cheadle!

Straws well and truly clutched. I'm on my own again for this one as Polardin's on his works' xmas do. Come on Cheadle!

Ashton Town v Cheadle Town - POSTPONED

I had a feeling this one would cop it as it has been persisting it down all day. Looks like an evening with a pen and my xmas cards.....

Tonight's Opponents: Ashton Town

It's the third trip to Ashton-in-Makerfield in a fortnight as Cheadle Town take on Ashton Town in the re-arranged Division Two Trophy match from last Saturday. The usual pre-match post that I did back then still holds true, so click here if you want to refer back to it.

I'm assuming that this match will go ahead, of course. If the weather is anything like it was on Saturday, then we'll all be staying home with our feet up writing our xmas cards.

Whoever wins this match will face an away tie at Winsford United who beat Leek CSOB 5-2 in their 2nd Round replay last week. Come on Cheadle!

Ashton Town v Cheadle Town - POSTPONED

For the second time in as many weeks, Cheadle Town's match was postponed and, for the second time in as many weeks, I had made my way to the ground before finding out that the match was a non-starter...thanks to Deano for letting me know as I was driving into the car park.

Any more weeks like this and the withdrawal symptoms are gonna start kicking in....

Tomorrow's Opponents: Ashton Town

It's the first of two consecutive trips to Ashton-in-Makerfield as Cheadle Town face the 'Town footballing half in the second round of the Division Two Trophy (they play 'Athletic next saturday in the league).

We've already played this lot in the league - Ashton Town runing out 3-2 winners back on November 11th - but because I was in New York that week, I didn't get chance to post my usual pre-match words of wisdom.

Ashton Town were formed back in 1953 as Makerfied Mill FC (reflecting their geographical location) and changed their name to Ashton Town in 1962. They joined the Lancashire Comination League in 1971 and moved to the Cheshire League in 1978 where they were in position to become founder members of the NWCFL in 1982. Unfortunately for them, they have never tasted life in Div 1, although three consecutive 7th place finishes would seem to suggest that they aren't that far away from breaking that particular duck.

As far as their home record is concerned, as fate/Sod's Law would have it, their only home victory (in the league at least) was that 3-2 win against Cheadle Town, which might just give Ashton Town the psychological advantage tomorrow. From our own point of view, what better way for Cheadle to keep the momentum going than to get a win tomorrow and secure their place in the next round of the only cup competition that's left?

Come on Cheadle!

Ashton Town 3-2 Cheadle Town

Obviously no match report for this one as neither of us went, but another defeat on-the-road for our boys which is stretching the winless run beyond the ridiculous.

The breakdown of the match went as follows: 1-0 to Ashton Town (17 mins); Deano equalising for Cheadle (23 mins); 2-1 Ashton (39 mins); 3-1 Ashton with a penalty (58 mins); Scott Flanagan pulls one back for Cheadle after 81 mins, with Cheadle unable to seal the gap in the remaining nine minutes of play.