Castleton Gabriels 2-4 Cheadle Town

A hat-trick from Scott 'The Wasp' Flanagan powered Cheadle to their second consecutive away victory.

Cheadle settled into this match straight away and perhaps should have had the match wrapped up in the first 45 minutes. Arron Riley angled a rasping shot just wide of the upright after 9 minutes but had better luck six minutes later when he put Cheadle into the lead; he was put into space on the right where he found the time to drill home.

Cheadle's energy and Castleton's passages of nice one-touch play was making for an entertaining spectacle in the first half, with Cheadle carving out the slightly clearer-cut chances. Arron Riley was unlucky again when he crashed a shot into the side-netting and Ben Roberts was seeing plenty of the ball down the left-hand side.

With five minutes of the first-half remaining, Castleton got themselves level. Their number 10 latched onto a through-ball and had enough pace to beat Adam Roberts and poke it past Anthony O'Keefe who was bearing down on him. They looked to have gone 2-1 up at the stroke of half-time but their tricky number 11's shot crashed off the underside of the bar, onto the goalline and out.

Second-half, 64 minutes, enter stage-right the start of Scott Flanagan's one-man contribution to Cheadle's victory. Ben Roberts tore down the left, putting in a delicious cross for 'The Wasp' to slide home from six yards out. Just two minutes later he scored an absolute identical goal to put Cheadle 3-1 up, this time thanks to Mike Myers cross from the right.

Cheadle being Cheadle, they couldn't kill the game off for sure and allowed Castleton to maintain a foothold in the match with just eight minutes remaining when an inside pass from the left was poked past O'Keefe from the edge of the box.

No matter, as the Castleton 'keeper signed, sealed and delivered the victory for Cheadle on the 90th minute mark. He dithered on a clearance and ended up kicking it straight up the backside - and subsequently into the net - of Scott Flanagan who, as ever, was loitering with intent. It wasn't the most gracious ways of completing a hat-trick, but I'm sure 'The Wasp' won't mind.

Undeniably, Castleton gave Cheadle some problems for periods of this match but I'd say that this was a thoroughly deserved victory based on the balance of the 90 minutes as a whole. And well bloody done to 'The Wasp' for getting his hat-trick....

Photos from the evening can be seen by clicking here

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

This Week's Matches

Fixture faffage and a cup final will result in me experiencing a first this week: three football matches on-the-bounce.

It's off to Butterworth Park tonight to see if Cheadle Town can pick up only their third league away win of the season - and some much-welcome points - away to Div 2 strugglers Castleton Gabriels. The home match at Park Road ended up in an exciting 3-3 draw and given how both sides are languishing at the wrong end of the table, another goal-fest could be on the cards. Another factor to consider is tonight's potential attendance; Cassy's average home attendance is poor to say the least, something that won't be helped by the Manchester United v Barcelona match....

Wednesday sees us acquainting ourselves with Bootle for the third time in a fortnight as they pit their wits against Div 1 Maine Road in the Vodkat League Cup Final. As well as looking forward to what promises to be another interesting contest, there's another new stadium to visit: The Tameside Stadium, home of Unibond 1's Curzon Ashton.

The tryptych of footballing action concludes on Thursday night at Brocstedes Park with Cheadle's away match at Ashton Athletic. If Cheadle have managed to win at Castleton then this will provide the ideal opportunity to kick-on with another three points, although this task will be that little bit more difficult as Ashton Athletic are gunning for a top-five finish in what has been a royal season for them.

Each match report will be on here the same night - albeit in the late hours - so there'll be plenty of bedtime reading to keep you all busy. Don't say I never treat you.

Come on Cheadle!

Saturday's Opponents: Castleton Gabriels

I'll stick my neck out and make a bold prediction: there will be goals galore in this game at 'Ice Station Zebra' this Saturday.

Cheadle's scoring/conceding figures look distinctly meagre in comparison to Castleton's this season. They may have netted more but one look at their 'Against' tally tells a different story; the figure of 54 lends a lot to some scorelines that wouldn't have looked out of place at a schoolboy kick-about in the local park (1-4, 2-5, 0-5, even a 0-9!).

Even our home league match against them in October was treated to a goalfest as a last-minute equaliser from them meant the scores ended up 3-3!

It's ages since Polardin and I attended a Cheadle away match so we're hoping that any wet or freezing weather sods well-and-truly off in time for Saturday as we could both do with a bit of pre-xmas Cheadle action. We'll have to dig out the xmas songs and all....

Come on Cheadle!

Cheadle Town 3-3 Castleton Gabriels

A last-minute goal denied ten-man Cheadle back-to-back home wins in this goal-fest at Park Road.

Despite presenting us with two goals the first 45 minutes was, in the most, a rather tepid affair. The pushing and probing of both teams eventually led to the first ripple of a net after 14 minutes: Johnny Hussain slid a shot into the side netting for Cheadle.

After Ben Roberts had prevented Castleton from going ahead after 18 minutes with an excellent last-ditch sliding tackle in the penalty box, the visitors got the better of the Cheadle defence on the 33-minute mark when their number 10 latched onto a flick and thundered the ball past Mellor with a left-foot half-volley.

Mellor faired better on the 38th minute when he produced a double-block to prevent Castleton taking a two-goal lead.

Just before Castleton's opening goal, Cheadle had their handful of chances. If Arron Riley would have been just a yard further forward on 24 minutes then he would have connected with Johnny Hussain's left-wing cross; three minutes later Andy Lindon saw a rasping drive tipped over the bar by the Gabriels 'keeper. Mr Lindon picked a better spot for one of his shots on the 41st minute when he surged forward and curled a right-footed beauty in the corner of the net to send the teams into the break one apiece.

Okay, perhaps the first half wasn't that "tepid" after all, but it certainly seemed so in comparison to the second period of play.

Castleton's number 10 almost repeated the medicine after 47 minutes but Mellor was equal to his shot. Just three minutes later, it was Cheadle who got the goal tally rolling for the second half. Some ineffective defending from Castleton resulted in the ball spilling clear for Arron Riley who tucked a shot inside the 'keeper's near post.

Soon after that, Cheadle's afternoon was made difficult by Ben Roberts' sending-off. From where Polardin and I were stood it looked as though Ben won the ball, but the referee deemed it a two-footed, studs-up challenge and that was that; credit to the aggrieved Castleton player who - by the gesture he made to Ben as he trudged off - didn't agree with the red card that had been brandished.

I don't normally make mention of substitutions in the main match reports but the replacement of Mike Myers with Adie James after 69 minutes was to be the catalyst for Cheadle's extended lead. With his first touch, Adie gathered a parried Brocky shot in the box and bundled the ball past the 'keeper for a 3-1 Cheadle lead.

Then Castleton came at us...and ended up getting themselves right back into the game. On 77 minutes another fierce drive beat Mellor and then, with barely a minute remaining, Castleton surged through for the equaliser.

After being 3-1 up it's disappointing to not come away with the three points, but credit to Castleton who went "shit or bust" in the last 20 minutes and ended up walking away with a share of the spoils. Perhaps with eleven men on the field Cheadle would have held on for the win, who knows.....

Pictures from the day can be seen by clicking here

TEAM: Mellor, Heath, B Roberts, Clarke, A Roberts, Brocklehurst, Myers (James), MacDonald, Lindon, Riley, Hussain. Subs: Moores, Flanagan, James

Saturday's Opponents: Castleton Gabriels

It's the third of four home matches on the trot as Castleton Gabriels come to Park Road this Saturday.

Early evidence would suggest that Gabriels aren't going to have the kind of season they have been experiencing of late. Last season - and a couple before that - they finished rock bottom of Div 2 with not many wins to their name.

This season they have already picked up 4 victories - just one less than what they managed last time around - and have been involved in some fairly freaky results on the way; their 2007-2008 term has been inconsistent, to say the least. One point of note is that three of those four victories have come away from home.

They come to Park Road on the back of a stunning 6-0 away victory at Daisy Hill, have also managed to win 2-1 away at Norton United - who are fairing well this season - and have picked up three points at Holker Old Boys with a 4-2 win. This is somewhat tempered by the result they suffered at Padiham: a 0-9 stuffing.

Despite this one being "difficult to call", this is a great opportunity to build on last Saturday's win and build up our league points tally before the potentially more difficult - based on league positions - home match versus Chadderton next Wednesday.

Come on Cheadle!

Castleton Gabriels 3-1 Cheadle Town

What started off as a treat ended up being a trick as a Halloween horrow show unfolded on a cold night at Butterworth Park.

Cheadle made a boisterous start and had Castleton on the back foot for the majority of the first half. The best chance of the opening exchanges saw a Lindon chance parried by the 'keeper on 15 minutes. Cheadle got the lead they deserved on 35 minutes when Deano collected his parried shot and tucked it into an empty net. Two minutes later and it could have been 2-0: Adam Stewart putting his shot just wide after racing clear of his marker.

Four minutes later and the game started to turn on its head. A cross from the Castleton left wasn't properly cleared by Macca; the ball broke invitingly to a 'Gabriels forward who gobbled up the chance to square the match at 1-1. On the stroke of half-time Cheadle were down to ten men. A small altercation between the players got a bit out of hand, with Johnny Hussain being the one seeing red. Half-Time, 1-1.

With their momentum gone, a player down and Castleton with their tails up, Cheadle's second-half performance didn't really match that of the first. Castleton got their noses in front on 55 minutes when a minor misunderstanding in the defence allowed one of their forwards to advance on Mellor and plant a shot into the net. A clever turn-and-shot on the edge of the box after 65 minutes made it 3-1 and gave Cheadle the proverbial mountain to climb. They put the effort in - as they always do - but to be honest, they never looked like getting back into it.

After such a promising start - where Cheadle looked like they'd run away with the match - this defeat was a disappointment. Alas, onwards we march...to Bootle on Saturday, and the continuing quest for that first elusive point away from home.

Team: Mellor, Heath, B Roberts (Flanagan), McDonagh, A Roberts, Brocklehurst (Riley), Stewart, Hussain, Shaw (Kay), D Martin, Lindon. Subs: Flanagan, Riley, Kay

Photos: it was night-time, which means the usual small collection. However, if you fancy a gander, head here. You should know what to do by now once you get there....

Tomorrow's Opponents: Castleton Gabriels (and Weekend Round-Up)

It's our first fixture "turn-around" of the season as Cheadle travel to Castleton Gabriels in the return fixture of Cheadle's first game of the season. Cheadle ran out 2-1 winners that day in a close match; that win seems such a long time ago now.

As things stand, Castleton are two points and one place above us. A win for Cheadle would obviously haul them above the Gabriels. However, a win away from home in the league matches has eluded Cheadle thus far this season. In fact, Cheadle haven't picked up a single point away from home this season.

On Saturday, the top two won again. Runcorn picked up an impressive 3-1 win at Darwen, whilst Winsford United gave Holker a 7-2 thumping in Cheshire. In the First Round of the Division Two Trophy, New Mills knocked out Blackpool Mechanics with a 3-1 home win (two goals for ex-Cheadle Vinnie Briane) and Eccleshall won by the same scoreline at home to Padiham. After their 0-0 draw with each other, our very own Cheadle Town are now 13th, Norton United are still rooted to the foot of the table.

Cheadle Town 2-1 Castleton Gabriels

A case of "all's well that ends well" as Cheadle Town opened their NWCFL account today with a deserved 2-1 victory over Castleton Gabriels.

Cheadle Town took a while to get going today, it has to be said, with Castleton arguably carving out the better chances in a rather dour first half which ended 0-0. On the hour mark, Cheadle Town got the goal that their second-half improved industry and innovation deserved: Vinny Braine bundling into a virtually open net from a driven right-wing cross. Fourteen minutes later Castleton scrambled a scrappy equaliser, but their hopes of a draw only lasted two minutes as Vinny Braine finished off a lovely move with an angled drive from the left of the penalty box.

Next stop is Winsford on Wednesday, and a rather tricky away tie in the Cheshire Senior Cup.

The photos from the day can be seen by clicking here.

Tomorrow's Opponents: Castleton Gabriels

So here we are, walking up the garden path of a new season and knocking on its front door. When it opens tomorrow at 3.00pm, Castleton Gabriels will be our first guests at Park Road.

To say that 'Gabriels have had a rough time of late would be an understatement. They have finished bottom of the NWCFL Division Two for the past three seasons. They have been in in Division Two since their admittance for the '90-'91 season, reaching their best-ever finish of 4th in '95-'96, a season where none of the teams could do anything about a rampant Vauxhall Motors who coasted to the Div.2 title.

This doesn't mean that Cheadle Town have got an easy game tomorrow. The Park Road boys are favourites, but how many times have we seen unexpected results on the first day of the season....?

Weather forecast: Sunny intervals, 19C.