Cheadle Town 1-2 Leek CSOB

Cheadle Town suffered their first league home defeat of the season in this ill-tempered match against Leek CSOB.

The match finished minus three players: Johnny Hussain seeing red for Cheadle in a mass brawl on 55 minutes that also saw a Leek player walk...who then saw another of their charges get sent off later on in the second half. In my opinion the brawl was always on the cards; an inevitable by-product of some shoddy refereeing. Missed fouls, baffling bookings and two nailed-on penalties for Cheadle pretty much summed it all up.

Anyhow, in a game of very limited clear-cut chances, Cheadle were the better side for the first 45 minutes. Arron Riley was put through on 25 minutes but shinned his shot at the crucial moment - the ball rolling agonisingly rolling against the foot of the post.

Two minutes later, that missed chance wouldn't matter as Cheadle took the lead. A Mike Myers cross from the right should have been meat and drink for Andy Lindon to finish, but he spurned his opportunity; luckily the ball fell to Mac who slammed it home.

Mac's ambitious left-footed shot that was just tipped over the bar opened the bidding for the second half, but Leek drew level on 50 minutes when a shot was drilled low and hard across him and into the corner of the net.

The match went totally flat after the mass fisticuffs with neither team garnering any decent chances. However, with just six minutes or so left on the clock, Leek's nine men took the lead after a thunderous free-kick was arrowed past Mellor. Cheadle had a few goalmouth scrambles in the minutes leading up to the final whistle, but it just wasn't to be.

Disappointed? You bet I am. It feels as though we're "back to square one" again after today's defeat; thank God for the quick opportunity to put it all right on Wednesday night against Oldham Town. To add insult to injury, when I got to the ground I discovered that I hadn't put the battery in my camera, so I've got no pics for you. Sorry.

Bugger it all. I'm off for a drink.

TEAM: Mellor, Clarke, B Roberts, Fellows (Buchanan), A Roberts, Brocklehurst, Riley, MacDonald, Myers (James), Lindon, Hussain. Subs: Moore, Buchanan, James

Saturday's Opponents: Leek CSOB

With the rather fortuitous victory over Daisy Hill behind them, Cheadle Town march on to this Saturday's home match with another team languishing at the wrong end of the table: Leek CSOB.

This is the first fixture 'turnaround' of the season. Unfortunately there will be no chance of a league 'double' as these two teams played out a not-so-dull goalless draw at Harrison Park back at the start of September.

However, given Leek's current league form, Cheadle Town have a great opportunity to extend their unbeaten run in the league to six matches...a run that started with that draw at Harrison Park.

Leek CSOB may be third-from-bottom and winless away from home (there I go dangling my meat and two veg in the jaws of fate again), but one of those six points was gained via a 1-1 draw at Div 2 leaders Kirkham and Wesham; like Daisy Hill, they're just as capable of being bloody awkward buggers.

A win for Cheadle - if other results are favourable - could mean 10th place come Saturday evening. Good God, the thought is sending me dizzy.

Come on Cheadle!

Leek CSOB 0-0 Cheadle Town

Cheadle picked up their first away point of the season in this goalless draw at Harrison Park.

This was anything but a bore-draw. The 90 minutes flew by, testament to the approach that both teams took to the game as it was almost end-to-end all the way. It's a shame that the referee didn't join in with the festival of football that was being played before him; he ended up booking around eight players - and sending one off - in a match that was anything but dirty.

This match could have gone either way over the 90 minutes with the number of clear chances falling in equal numbers to both sides. Leek had the first half-chance after just 9 minutes with a shot that flew over the bar. They had an even better chance after 13 minutes but Cheadle 'keeper Atkinson was equal to it with an excellent block.

The next chance fell to Cheadle on 20 minutes as Mac side-footed a teasing left-wing cross over the bar. We then had a legitimate penalty shout turned down on the half-hour and a corner kick scooted agonisingly across the Leek six-yard box on the stroke of half-time with nobody at the end of it. These cross-box balls were a feature of the whole match, really - we could have had a goal-fest if a few people would have stuck a few feet out. Anyhow...

Leek arguably had the better of the second half and put Cheadle under a bit of pressure with their aerial attack, but we had two great chances before the match was out. On 76 minutes another cross was whipped in with all manner of limbs being flailed in vain at the ball that was bouncing around the area and with just five minutes remaining, Arron Riley gathered the ball, moved inside and unleashed a vicious left-footed drive that was superbly palmed away by the Leek 'keeper.

However, inbetween those two chances Cheadle's night went a bit sour as Mac was sent off for his second bookable offence by the rather card-happy referee. At that point I was quite prepared to take the draw and run, so I'm moderately happy - all things considered - with tonight's result.

And you know what, we've gone three matches now without conceding. Onto Saturday....

Photos from tonight can be seen by clicking here. Not many I'm afraid as it's pretty hopeless trying to get action shots with a bog-standard point-and-shoot digital camera under the floodlights.

TEAM: Atkinson, Heath, B Roberts, Cotterill, Smith, Broklehurst, Riley, MacDonald, Carpenter, Myers (Martin), Hussain. Subs: Martin, Thirkle

Tonight's Opponents: Leek CSOB

It's back to the "humdrum" of league action tonight as we make the trip down the A523 to Leek.

Despite our 0-2 defeat there last season, I grew rather fond of Harrison Park (home of Unibond League Leek Town) as it had a "proper" stand from where you could get a really decent view of the match and make yourself heard at the same time. I wasn't too sure about the pies, though; as large and tasty as they are, the pastry was a touch on the arid side for my liking, thus requiring an equally large cup of tea to wash it down with.

As we go into this we find Leek CSOB in 13th place with just one league win to their name this season and bugger all else; they've also been letting in a hatful of goals at Harrison Park so far. Bootle played there on Saturday in the league and won 4-2; Tipton knocked them out of the FA Cup with another four-goal salvo.

Ian "Sweeney Todd" is coming with us tonight and we usually don't do too bad when he decides to join us. Joking apart, we need to start getting some decent league points - and an away goal - on the board to get some value out of the decent football we are playing at the moment.

Come on Cheadle!

Scroll down for the Weekend Round-Up

Cheadle Town 1-2 Leek CSOB

Unfortunately it wasn't Cheadle who found three points at the end of this rainbow as Leek completed the double over us with a 2-1 victory at Park Road.

Despite the defeat, it was quite an entertaining match, and one that got off to quite a busy start. Leek saw a looping header go over the bar after 3 minutes and Cheadle's Scott Flanagan saw a goal disallowed just two minutes after that. Arguably Leek were the more industrious and had the better chances: of note being a 15th minute mazy run by one of their midfielders who put his shot straight at Mellor.

On 25 minutes, Leek took a somewhat deserved lead. Rutter was put through and after holding off the challenge of a Cheadle defender, placed a smart finish past Mellor with the outside of his boot. Three minutes later and it could have been worse: a Leek turn-and-shot in the area clipping the top of the crossbar. Cheadle were definitely on the back foot. Half time, 0-1.

The second half started in the same fashion as the first, with Cheadle slightly having the edge this time around. Leek's forays into the box were being cut out with some crucial tackles, mainly from Barry Cotterill, with Cheadle showing a bit more enterprise and industry....

...which paid off after 60 minutes. A cross was whipped in and met by a header that crashed off the top of the post and spun up into the air; Scott Flanagan was the first to the ball when it returned to ground and bundled it past the Leek 'keeper. Cheadle's tails were up. During the next five minutes they had two of those mad scramble-in-the-box moments where the ball wouldn't go in.

Unfortunately their momentum was halted in its tracks after 65 minutes when Tarr - one of Cheadle's tormentors at Harrison Park - guided his free header past Mellor and into the top corner of the net.

Then in the last minute, the controversy as Arron Riley was put through and seemed to have his heels clipped in the penalty area. No penalty was given and any chance of retrieving a point from this game was lost....


Team: Mellor, McDonagh, B Roberts (Webber), Cotterill, A Roberts, Smith, Riley, Brocklehurst, Flanagan, Lindon, Stewart (Brokenbrow). Subs: Lee, Brokenbrow, Webber

Tomorrow's Opponents: Leek CSOB

Weather permitting, it's the first of back-to-back league matches at Park Road tomorrow as Cheadle play the return fixture with Leek CSOB.

Leek were 2-0 victors back in the begining of October when the two teams met at Harrison Park; a match where all of the damage was done in a first 45 minute period where Cheadle didn't really "turn up", if I remember rightly.

If you're a gambling man then a score draw might literally be your best bet. Although Leek have only won once on their travels, they have only lost once; five of their seven away matches have ended up as a score draw.

As things stand, Leek are in the top half of the table in 8th position, but still only four points in front of Cheadle, such is the mild congestion in the middle of the Div 2 table at the moment. A couple of wins for Cheadle would make all the difference for their league position.

Come on Cheadle!

Cheadle Town 1-1 Ashton Athletic

The points were shared in this enthralling contest that was every bit "value for money" from the first kick until the last. Unbiased opinion aside, Cheadle Town's industry and graft - particularly in the second half - deserved more than the draw they ended up with.

The first half was busy and evenly-contested by both teams who were going at each other like the clappers. The first close effort on goal came from Cheadle talisman Deano who struck the bar on 26 mins after a turn and shot. Some six minutes later and Ashton were in the lead. Mellor was sold an underhit backpass which put him right in trouble, the ball breaking to an Ashton forward who accepted the gift of the virtually open net in front of him. Ashton's tails were right up as they then forced Mellor to punch away a well-taken free-kick just two minutes later.

Cheadle got the break they deserved just five minutes before half-time with Deano's turn-and-shot in the area. As that went in I saw the linesman flagging furiously and thought that this just wasn't going to be our night, but as it turns out he would have given a penalty anyhow. Half-Time, 1-1.

The vast majority of the second half was the 'Cheadle Town Show'. There was a legitimate claim for a penalty turned down on 76 minutes when Deano was bundled down in the area, but apart from that, Cheadle put in a second-half performance that was a joy to watch and harked back to the kind of stuff that they played when they got this season off to such a good start. Ashton Athletic only started to show again towards the end of the match and could have pinched it if a low shot hadn't gone the wrong side of the post with only minutes to spare.

The team performance was the biggest plus-point from the night. In addition, given Cheadle's run of results of late, we might have accepted a draw before this match tonight...so I suppose it's a good point to start back on the right path again. And so onto Holker this Saturday.

Team: Mellor, Heath, Flanagan, McDonagh, Roberts, Lindon, Brocklehurst, A Riley (Stewart), Wakefield, Martin, Hussain. Subs: Lea, Stewart, W Riley

Photos: I only took three tonight, so it might not be worth bothering as I find it very hard to get any decent action shots at night as I'm reluctant to use the flash whilst the players are on the pitch. Anyhow, if you're interested, they're here.....

Leek CSOB 2-0 Cheadle Town

Cheadle's worrying slump in form continued yesterday as they fell to a two-nil defeat at Harrison Park.

Leek started the brighter, forcing a great save from Mellor on the 6th minute. Five minutes later, Cheadle responded when Riley latched onto a through ball but could only see his shot saved by the Leek 'keeper. Leek nudged themselves ahead on 19 minutes when Johnson lifted a smart shot over Mellor's head and into the corner of the net. Eight minutes later and Leek were two goals to the good; Tarr burying a shot low to Mellor's outstretched right hand. Three chances for Leek and two goals. Not good. Riley had another chance to haul Cheadle back into the match just before half-time but, in a way that summed up Cheadle's first half performance, it went begging.

Cheadle started the second half with all guns blazing. Such was the improved effort and workrate that Leek only had one clear effort in the second half: a header that cannoned off the post. Alas, for all of their huffing and puffing, Cheadle just couldn't blow the house down and thus repair the damage that was already done in the first 45 minutes.

Plus points to the day? Seeing Dave Carpenter put another appearance in after being out for so long due to injury and Harrison Park - one of the better grounds I've been to whilst following Cheadle Town. Apart from that, another bad day at the office.

Photos from the day: start here and use the box on the right-hand side of the page to move your way through the photos (underneath where it says 'Nine Below Zero Photostream')

Tomorrow's Opponents: Leek CSOB

County School Old Boys - that's what the CSOB stands for. So now you know.

It's a straight-run down the A523 on Saturday as Cheadle Town travel to Harrison Park to play Leek CSOB. If you've ever driven to Alton Towers via this route you will have passed Harrison Park as it is on the main road. The ground is actually the home of the slightly-more famous Leek Town; the 'Old Boys' have never actually had their own home ground and thus groundshare Harrison Park with their Unibond League landlords.

Leek CSOB were fed into NWCFL Div 2 from the Staffordshire Senior League in 1996 and finished in 17th position last season. They currently lie in 10th position, 2 points ahead of Cheadle Town. Their only two wins have come at Harrison Park, against Holker and Bootle, and they have drawn their last two games 1-1; last week at Chadderton they went a goal behind with two minutes to goal but managed to snatch a result in the last minute.

I could do without 90th minute dramas going against us again. Come on Cheadle!