Bootle 6-2 Cheadle Town

The Cheadle Town FC Blog's 'Player of the Season' Adam Roberts (right) receives his customary handshake from The Pole. Adam has been a consistent member of the side this season and has been consistently impressive with it, getting on with his centre-back role with the minimum of fuss.
(Adam, your prize is in the post as Polardin left it at home!)

It was another away-day goalfest as Cheadle signed off their 2007-2008 season with this thoroughly entertaining defeat at Bucks Park.

It took Cheadle a while to wake up, by which time they were already 0-1 down; possession was lost just outside the box, the ball was cut back with the resultant shot having too much power for Boom's legs to prevent it scuttling into the net.

Cheadle kept themselves in the running, though, and somewhat deservedly got themselves level on the 25 minute mark. It looked as though a promising forward move had been lost as Sam Hall found himself stationery with the ball at his feet at the edge of the box but with his back to the net. He somehow managed to swivel on a sixpence a hit a crisp one-time left-footer right into the bottom corner of the net for his first goal in a Cheadle shirt.

The ever-threatening, voracious Bootle were somewhat gifted the two goals that would see them take a 3-1 lead at half-time. On 34 minutes, a bit of dithering in the Cheadle defence left two Bootle players over in the box; a simple pass to the on-field Bootle manager saw him side-foot into the net.

Our 'keeper "Boom" won't want to be reminded of what happened for their third. Two minutes before half-time he scooped up a cross that was whipped in from the left, only to drop it straight onto his feet and see it ricochet straight into the path of an oncoming Bootle forward who gobbled up the goalscoring opportunity.

Such is the slender line between success and failure in football that Cheadle could have equalised once more for 2-2 on the 38th minute. Johnny Hussain cut in from the right and fired a shot that spun off the Bootle 'keeper that was hacked off the line at the last minute.

Still on that "slender line" topic, the next goal in the second half was always going to be crucial. 3-2 and Cheadle were right back in it, 4-1 and they weren't. Unfortunately it was to be the latter as a breakaway on the 63rd minute resulted in Boom being lobbed in a one-on-one situation.

Four minutes later the score entered the "hammering" canon - a cross from the right was scooped in left-footed - and with just ten minutes of the clock remaining Bootle got their sixth as Andy Fowler (?) rifled home from the edge of the area.

In tacit realisation that six-one would have been no way to end a season, Cheadle had the last say on the match with four minutes to go as Mike 'Halloween' Myers found himself in the box with the space and time to bury his shot.

Nope, not the best way of ending a season but we had a whale of an evening and watched one hell of an entertaining match, and that's what matters most to us at the end of the day. Bootle is one away-day we'll be definitely looking forward to next season; one of the most friendly clubs we've ever visited.

And that's all, folks - for another season. All of the season reviews will start appearing on here over the next couple of weeks: my words, Polardin's words, pictures, stats and a player-by-player write-up. Stay tuned.

Pictures from the evening can be seen by clicking here

TEAM: O'Keefe, Clarke (Gittens), B Roberts, Logan, A Roberts, Cotterill, Riley, Smith, Myers, Hussain, Hall. Sub: Gittens

Ashton Athletic 5-0 Cheadle Town

A four-goal salvo in the first-half did the damage as Cheadle slumped to a 0-5 reversal at Brocstedes Park.

Ashton Athletic set their stall out early and reaped the benefit of a two-goal lead within the first quarter-of-an-hour of the match. The header that smashed off O'Keefe's crossbar after just 3 minutes didn't seem to matter once Ashton Athletic had taken their lead just six minutes later; Sam Hall lost possession in midfield, the ball was fed through to a (suspiciously offside) forward who rounded O'Keefe and slotted home.

On the 15 minute mark, the lead was doubled. Athletic kept the ball alive on the byline and crossed it from the right where it was seized upon on the edge of the box and slammed home.

For the next 27 minutes Cheadle started to very slowly but very surely get a foot on the ball and earn themselves a bit of much-needed possession. Granted this didn't create any effective clear-cut chances for us, but it did mean that the utter tonking that Athletic looked like giving us was being halted in its tracks....

...until a two-minute period just before half-time. On the 43rd minute a free-kick was whipped in from the left and freely nodded in from a couple of yards out, with an identical header ending up the same way just two minutes later thus giving Athletic an unassailable four-goal advantage.

With the game lost, Trevor told the players to "win the second half". They may not have done that where goals were concerned - Ashton Athletic got their fifth on the 75th minute - but they certainly would have won the percentage possession stats. Cheadle also crafted a couple of chances in this period and all: a nice move saw Scott Flanagan's resulting shot excellently palmed away by the 'keeper on the hour mark and perhaps our substitute should have done better than blasting over the bar when ten yards out.

If this match would have started at 8.30pm then I might have been reporting on a narrower defeat...or even a draw. Could have, would have, should have - that's football for you....

Pictures from the evening can be seen by clicking here

TEAM: O'Keefe, Clarke, B Roberts, Logan, A Roberts, Fellows (Gittens), Hall, Myers, Flanagan, Smith, Brokenbrow. Subs: Gittens

Maine Road 2-2 Bootle (Maine Road win 5-3 on penalties)

In the modern-day footballing era where tense and boring cup finals seem to be de rigeur, it was refreshing to witness one that refused to conform.

Maine Road and Bootle treated those who turned up to The Tameside Stadium - although nobody would have got back home until 11.00pm - to a cup final that would have made the onlooking NWCFL officials proud.

The initial 90 minutes' goals panned out as thus: the light blues of Maine Road took the lead after just 7 minutes when Danny Self tapped home a cross from a couple of yards out; Bootle equalised on the stroke of half-time when Jamie Hay headed home from a corner; Maine Road regained the advantage six minutes in to the second period when Mason seized on a cross from the right and drilled home, and with 75 minutes gone, 'Road's 'keeper made a great stop only to see the rebound nodded over his prostrate body by Kevin Black.

Extra-time produced nothing thus forcing the rather uncomfortable conclusion that is penalties. Maine Road's keeper made a crucial save when the tally was at 3-2 in their favour which meant that his outfield colleagues just had to keep netting their spot kicks. They did.

Bootle will feel hard done by. Despite the fact that - up until their equaliser for 1-1 - they didn't look like scoring, they worked their socks off during the second half and were, for my money, arguably the better side during that second 45 minutes of play.

Not that anything should be taken away from Maine Road; their football is a joy to watch at times and their final 4th place in Div 1 tells no lies. As a Cheadle Town fan I'll take some comfort from the fact that we were eliminated from the competition by the eventual winners!

Pictures from the evening can be seen by clicking here

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

Cheadle Town 0-2 Bootle

Cheadle's 2007-2008 season at Park Road came to an end tonight with this 0-2 reversal against Div Two Trophy finalists Bootle.

The second half was a far better spectacle than the first, so that's where I'll start. A lively opening quarter-of-an-hour after the restart was epilogued by Bootle slotting home a penalty to put them 1-0 up. Before that both teams had their fair share of half-chances: Mike Myers' collected an Arron Riley flick-on after 49 minutes and drilled a near-post shot that was excellently blocked by the Bootle 'keeper. Six minutes later and a Bootle striker blazed over the bar from about six yards out after a teasing right-wing cross.

A further quarter of an hour after Bootle had scored their penalty, they went further ahead with a well-worked individual effort. The goalscorer collecting the ball in midfield, running a fair length of the field before checking back, shifting the ball across to the right and rifling home from the edge of the box.

Our 'keeper - Anthony "Boom" O'Keefe - couldn't do anything about the quality of that strike but he made an absolutely excellent job of everything else that came his way. This was the first time I had seen him play and was pleasantly surprised with his agility and handling - he's a big lad - whilst also being mildly amused with the distance and height he can put on his kicks: hence his newly-acquired "Boom" nickname.

Special mention to Mike Myers tonight who ran like a ferret for the full 90 minutes and is, perhaps, unlucky to be going home without a goal to his name. As well as the chance mentioned beforehand, he wasn't far off with a 13th-minute left-footed volley; about the only notable action point of a rather drab first half.

No denying Bootle their win tonight; they were fair value for their three points. I'm no tactical expert - nor does it interest me, to be honest - but Cheadle could perhaps look back at the forced early substitution of Brad Fellows that threw them a bit out of shape.

Good luck to Bootle this Thursday in the Division Two Trophy Final.

Photos from the match can be seen by clicking here

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

Harrogate Town 0-0 Hucknall Town

In a match where both teams needed to win but for very different reasons, neither did.

The point that was shared was no good whatsoever: it failed to secure Harrogate Town's play-off place and it condemned Hucknall Town to relegation and a season in the Unibond Premier next term. The Harrogate Town fans' deafening silence at the full-time whistle spoke volumes of what they thought of it all.

Both teams will look back on this and be retrospectively kicking themselves about the chances they had, although the bruises on Hucknall's backsides will be that little bit blacker. The Nottinghamshire side could have nicked it in the second half; the clearest opportunity falling to substitute Ricketts who, with the goal at his mercy, headed down into the ground and subsequently straight into the arms of the Harrogate 'keeper.

To be frank, Harrogate f*cked around too much when their chances came. With a bit more clinical application they might have waltzed away with the three points that would have done them the world of good; instead, frustrating procrastination in front of goal has left them and their supporters looking over their shoulders as they occupy the last play-off spot, just one point ahead of pursuers Southport.

Despite the goallessness this was an enjoyable match - every bit as tense as you would expect between two teams in such positions - and came away feeling that we had still picked the right contest for our "gatecrashing". We must do this more often when Cheadle aren't playing.

Many, many thanks to Polardin's Harrogate-based cousin (and family) who provided us with pre- and post-match cups of tea and the transport to and from the ground. Stars!

Photos from the day can be seen by clicking here

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

Kirkham & Wesham 8-0 Cheadle Town

Sweet Jesus. Well, I did say we'd either nick a result or get mullered, didn't I?

Cheadle held their own for 24 minutes, whereafter the floodgates obviously opened. And to think that I was cursing the fact that I couldn't attend this one; small mercies and all that....

Match report and pictures will be on here when Polardin and Paul Lynch cough up.

Norton United 2-1 Cheadle Town

Stood in the Burger King queue at Knutsford Services, a complete stranger - obviously as fed up as me waiting for his order and looking for somebody to talk to - turned to me and asked:
"How far south are you going, mate?" "Errr, Stoke" "M6 southbound closed, mate...round about the Stoke area and all, come to mention it..."
From thereon, yet another abnormal day in the company of Norton United FC was about to unfold.

During our hour spent going through the motoring equivalent of walking through treacle on the M6, Polardin and I weighed up the possibilities: would the team also be turning up late? Would that give Norton's over-officious colonel good reason to have us fined, call the match off and have the three points awarded to them? Would common sense somehow prevail and we'd end up with a 3.30pm kick-off? More to the point, what bloody time would we be getting there?

As the motorway re-opened and with it the chance of making it to the match on-time re-surfaced, I foolishly said "hey, it could be our day now..."

For 86 minutes of this match, I was right. For 86 minutes Cheadle Town seemingly had this match in the palm of their hands and were in control. For 86 minutes we looked like achieving only our second away win all season, a win that would satisfy in more ways than one.

Cheadle were a goal up at half-tim e due to a bit of spectacular improvisation from Johnny Hussain on 20 minutes. From 30 yards out he gathered the ball and sent a well-measured chip soaring over the Norton 'keeper's head and into the net.

What makes this defeat sore is the fact that Cheadle should have wrapped this game up during the second half. An industrious spell on the hour mark saw Mike Myers blaze a header wide from a delicious Arron Riley cross, Brad Fellows narrowly shoot over and various half-decent opportunities to score squandered.

But it was still to be our day, remember, especially after Steve Moores somehow stopped a certain Norton goal from point-blank range and did well to claw away the ball from the feet of two Norton strikers after a goalmouth scramble.

As that 86th minute ticked over Cheadle's day, inexplicably, fell apart. A Norton forward latched onto a through ball, rounded Moores and tucked home for the equaliser. Willing to "take the draw", we willed the referee's whistle to sound. It didn't come quick enough to stop Norton snatching a victory from the jaws of defeat with virtually the last action of the match: a left-wing cross headed home.

You know me by now, I'll always say when we have been beaten by the better side; today we weren't...and even the referee's assessor who was at the match agreed that we were the better side and deserved to win, so if you think I'm taking defeat in a bitter manner, you can sod right off.

Matches like this put you off football. It was a very quiet car on the way home as it was the lowest that Polardin and I have felt in our two years following Cheadle.

We don't like Norton United (and I'm sure the feeling's mutual). Not because they beat us - christ, they're hardly unique where that's concerned - but because every time we play them we have an arse of a time and the matches - both home and away, win or lose - are nothing but unhappy experiences as a whole. But until either of us somehow gets promoted from this division, we're stuck with each other.

More's the pity.

Photos from the day can be seen by clicking here

TEAM: Moores, Clarke, B Roberts, Cotterill, A Roberts, Logan, Riley, Hussain, Myers (Brokenbrow), Fellows, Lindon. Subs: Brokenbrow, Hall.

Oldham Town 7-0 Cheadle Town

I knew it would be difficult but good God, not this difficult....

Not that I'm begrudging Oldham Town the victory; far from it. With the best respect to the other teams in Div 2 that have beaten us this season, Oldham Town are the best outfit that we have played this term. They're direct, quick as ferrets on the break and lethal with it.

Within the first 16 minutes of this match Cheadle were down-and-out and three goals behind. With just five minutes gone, James Curley seized on a ricochet, bore down on goal and slipped the ball under Moores. 12 minutes saw Pheby blast home from the edge of the box with Curley getting his second of the match from the penalty spot on the 16 minute mark.

Then the merciless battering stopped. The final result would ultimately prove us wrong, but for the remainder of the first half we were wishing that the match had kicked off at 8.05pm as Cheadle started to do alright. We finally got our mark on the proverbial goalscoring chances sheet on 37 minutes, but the Oldham 'keeper was brilliantly equal to Brad Fellows' power header....

...and to his free-kick that was heading for the top-corner in the 50th minute. If only the Oldham 'keeper was a bit rubbish, Cheadle would have been only 2-3 down at that point and with a decent foothold in the game but football, like life, is full of "if onlys".

If only Darren Scanlon wouldn't have turned home from inside the box on 61 minutes. If only Stuart McGill wouldn't have cracked home from the edge of the box just eight minutes later. If only Curley wouldn't have latched onto a through ball on 77 minutes and slotted home for his hat-trick. If only McGill wouldn't have rolled home with five minutes of the game remaining...then this could have turned out so, so different for Cheadle(!)

Hilarious, aren't I? Well, if I wasn't a bit light-hearted after a 0-7 thrippling then you'd have every right to enrol me at the Heather Mills School of Sheer Lunacy. You may beat us by a cricket score, but you'll never beat our spirit (can you hear the inspirational music?) for we are Cheadle Town FC and we shall march on with venturesome abandon this Saturday.

Norton. You are next. And you're gonna get it. Good style.

TEAM: Moores, Clarke, B Roberts (Brokenbrow), Cotterill, Logan, Fellows, Riley, Hussain, Myers, Seaton, Buchanan. Subs: Brokenbrow, Bennett.

Cheadle Town 3-3 Darwen

In a contest that had everything bar the kitchen sink, Cheadle were robbed of a home win with the last kick of the match.

As well as finding themselves with just one point instead of three, Cheadle finished the match with three red cards. The first unfortunate soul was Brad Brokenbrow who didn't take too kindly to an obvious Cheadle throw-in not being awarded (which it was because I was right in front of it at the time!) and thus collected his second yellow. Johnny Hussain was the second to go for also collecting his second yellow and Ben Roberts joined the threesome after the final whistle had actually gone!

That apart, this was a pulsating contest. Cheadle should have been out of sight within the first quarter of an hour but had to settle for just the one goal for their efforts in this opening period: Johnny Hussain gathering the ball and threading it through to Carl Buchanan who delicately lobbed the oncoming 'keeper.

On either side of this 10th minute goal were the chances that Cheadle should have put away. Arron Riley planted a free header wide in the opening minute, Ben Roberts' side-footed just wide after going on a solo run a minute after Carl's opener and Arron blasted wide on the quarter-hour mark.

The final five minutes of the first-half was witness to Cheadle going from "coasting" to "square one". Carl Buchanan slotted home for his second of the match after being put through by Andy Lindon on the 40th minute but then saw his double wiped out. A free-kick from the Darwen let was side-footed home at the near post on 43 minutes with an almost carbon-copy goal for their equaliser on the stroke of half-time. In between their two goals an Arron Riley header was cleared off the line.

With their tails up, Darwen dominated the early stages of the second half and had their opportunities to put this match to rest. Various crosses from the wings were finding Darwen forwards who were - luckily for Cheadle - rather wasteful; the worst offender was the player who scooped over the crossbar from a yard out on the 78th minute when it looked easier to score.

Roundabout that point Cheadle were starting to find their way again, with Carl Buchanan leading the charge. His mazy run and shot that cannoned off the crossbar on the 73rd minute seemed to jolt Cheadle back into life.

With ten minutes remaining, Cheadle were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box which Ben Roberts dispatched with a curling left-footer for his first goal of the season (pictured above). And that should have been it....

...but it wasn't. Whether it will haunt Carl Buchanan for the rest of his life is another matter, but when he rounded the 'keeper in the last minute of normal time and side-netted his chance of giving himself the hat-trick he thoroughly deserved, Cheadle's chance of wrapping up the match went with it. Deep into injury time and with Cheadle now down to nine men, Darwen blasted home a free-kick with what turned out to be the last kick of the match.

If I've said it once, I've said it until I'm blue in the face: there's never a dull moment watching us lot....

Photos from the day can be seen by clicking here

TEAM: Moores, Clarke, B Roberts, Logan, Fellows, Cotterill, Riley, Hussain, Lindon, Buchanan, Brokenbrow. Subs: Bennett

Blackpool Mechanics 5-0 Cheadle Town

The sandcastles that Cheadle had built over the past couple of matches were crudely kicked down by Blackpool Mechanics as the seasiders ran riot with five goals in the second half.

Surveying our surroundings and with the wind and rain swirling around his ears before the match, Polardin suddenly had an attack of the sixth senses: "I've got a feeling we're gonna get beat about five-nil today...don't know why".

For 50 minutes of the match Polardin's clairvoyancy looked unlikely. The first-half of the match was like watching Dancing On Ice as both teams struggled to gain any lengthy and meaningful control of the ball; the greasy surface ruining the on-floor play and the swirling winds doing the same for any airborne balls.

Mechs were forcing most of the issue for the first 30 minutes of the match and kept Cheadle's defence busy, without carving out any real clear-cut chances. On the turn of the half-hour it was Cheadle's turn to dominate play: Mike Myers' shot on 33 minutes had the unfortune to strike Scott Flanagan's head on the way and go wide, with the latter going just wide with his own chance seven minutes later.

Ironically, when the sunshine came out for the second-half, Cheadle's game imploded. Ten minutes into the restart, Steve Moores pushed out a Mechs freekick but could do nothing about preventing their No.9 gobbling up the rebound.

Within the next twenty minutes the match was put completely out of Cheadle's reach. A cross in from the left was turned home on the hour mark and then on 73 minutes a cross from the right struck the heels of one of Cheadle's defenders, falling nicely for a Mechs striker to blast home.

With the match lost, Cheadle's match fell into farce just two minutes later. A long pass that was going nowhere bounced over Steve Moores' head and into the net: one of those "what happened next?" moments. Mechs turned the victory into a hammering with the last action of the match with a header from a yard out.

Based on their second-half performance you can't deny Blackpool Mechanics their three points, thus continuing their excellent run of form at the moment. But five-nil seems a bit...well...odd, as most of the goals were probably preventable....

Pictures from the day can be seen by clicking here

TEAM: Moores, Clarke, B Roberts, Cotterill, A Roberts, Brocklehurst, Riley, Hussain, Flanagan, Myers (Brokenbrow), Buchanan (Bennett). Subs: Brokenbrow, Bennett

Cheadle Town 2-0 Daisy Hill

Cheadle Town's first league 'double' of the season duly came at the hands of this (mostly) comfortable victory over Daisy Hill.

Cheadle started the first-half with the same dose of energy and brio that had brought them the victory in midweek. Good combination between Mike Myers and Carl Buchanan resulted in the latter narrowly firing over the bar after just 5 minutes. He was to prove more productive with the effort that brought the opener on the quarter-hour mark.

Another flowing move saw Scott Flanagan turn the ball to the left-wing where an unmarked Carl Buchanan hit a crisp, first-time shot into the corner of the net...past ex-Cheadle 'keeper Danny Smith, starting his third game with Daisy Hill.

He had to pick the ball out of the net again on the 26 minute as Cheadle stretched their lead. Arron Riley's cross was flicked on by Barry Cotterill towards an unmarked Scott Flanagan who poked home from a yard out.

When Carl Buchanan hit the bar just a minute later a rout looked on the cards but then Cheadle went mysteriously flat. Whilst they never really threatened, the final ten minutes of the first-half belonged to the visitors in terms of possession.

And so it carried on into the second-half as Cheadle 'keeper Moores had to be first to a through-ball after 50 minutes. Cheadle got their act together - albeit without the flowing play of the first period - and almost went three-up after 66 minutes; credit to Danny Smith for snuffing out the danger after a goalmouth scramble.

Cheadle had a few breakaways in the final ten minutes that were snuffed out by the Daisy defence but - with no offence meant to Daisy Hill - we sort-of knew by then that this game was won.

Back-to-back wins and, as Trevor pointed out to us at the end of the match, back-to-back clean sheets. The rollercoaster is on the up again...speaking of which, we're at Blackpool next weekend!

Photos from the day can be seen by clicking here

TEAM: Moores, Clarke (Hussain), B Roberts, Cotterill, A Roberts, Brocklehurst, Riley, Fellows, Myers (Brokenbrow), Flanagan, Buchanan. Subs: Brokenbrow, Hussain, Lindon

Cheadle Town 1-0 Norton United

A Scott Flanagan strike 13 minutes from time was enough to give Cheadle this much-needed - and much-deserved - victory over Norton United.

What a shame, though, that this high-energy match was marred by both teams being reduced to ten men towards the end of the first-half; in living proof that there's never a dull moment watching Cheadle Town, the whole story relating to the incident almost deserves a blog post of its own.

Carl Buchanan was felled by a Norton elbow, retaliating on his return to his feet with a push/slap (witness accounts differ on that matter). Whilst the stricken Norton player was being seen to, referee and linesman had both come to the conclusion that both players should see red. That should have been it but there was then some unnecessary nonsense from Norton's more highly-strung staff which culminated in the faintly laughable action of a phone call to Greater Manchester Police to deal with Carl Buchanan's "assault". It must have been a quiet night in SK8 because two officers actually turned up as the final whistle went!

Anyhow, the match. Cheadle started it as if their boots were on fire as they forced corner upon corner during the first ten minutes or so. It took 20 minutes for Norton to register their first meaningful threat on goal; Ben Roberts clearing a driven cross off the line.

As the more clear-cut chances that Cheadle were creating went begging over the course of the match, the more frustrating it was to watch. Mike Myers was put through after 26 minutes only to see his shot blocked by the 'keeper's legs and Brocky had a 30-yard crack excellently tipped over the bar.

Half-time came at the right time given it was on the back of the sendings-off but it didn't prove to be a roadblock of Cheadle's pressure as the chances kept coming in the second half. On the hour mark a corner came out to Ben Roberts who sent a vicious daisy-cutter which the 'keeper could only spill into the path of debut boy Tom Seaton; his shot was then parried into the path of Arron Riley who sent the final shot just wide of the post. Five minutes later the other newcomer, Phil Corley, almost had his moment of glory: his shot from an Arron Riley cross was blocked by the 'keeper.

It was Mr Corley's replacement who would bag the winner for Cheadle in the end. Brocky's cross was handled by a Norton defender and whilst everything seemed to stop in anticipation of a referee's whistle, Scott 'The Wasp' Flanagan latched onto the loose ball and turned it into the net.

Cheadle were as equally excellent tonight as they were ineffective last Saturday, and that was with a team that contained a few new faces: well done Mssrs Tom Seaton (a signing from Stockport Georgians) and Phil Corley (a recruit from our 2nd XI) for their contribution to tonight's victory.

Tonight's photos (not many, I'm afraid) can be seen by clicking here

TEAM: Moores, Clarke, B Roberts, Logan, Smith, Brocklehurst, Corley (Flanagan), Seaton, Myers (Brokenbrow), Riley, Buchanan. Subs: Brokenbrow, Flanagan, Cotterill, MacDonald

Eccleshall 2-1 Cheadle Town

Yet again it was a 2-1 scoreline at Pershall Park, but this time it was Eccleshall who came out winners.

After Arron Riley flashed a header wide of the post after 8 minutes, there was nothing else to make note of until the 40th when Cheadle 'keeper Moores tipped over a stinging shot from Eccleshall's Dwayne Spence. On the stroke of half-time, Eccleshall got their noses in front after a left-wing run saw the ball cut back into the penalty area and eventually planted past Moores.

With Cheadle looking unlikely to score, the game was put out of their reach on the hour mark when another left-wing run from Eccleshall saw the ball crossed in and slid home.

Then with the final five minutes of the match looming, Cheadle suddenly started to make an impact. A direct free-kick at the edge of the box was blasted home by Brocky (his second goal at Pershall Park this season), which sent Eccleshall into a bit of a tailspin as Cheadle then dominated. Within those remaining minutes Cheadle twice came agonisingly close to snatching an unlikely point: Arron Riley was put through but saw his shot blocked and Brad Fellows curled a shot inches wide of the post.

Cheadle weren't at the races for most of this match today, something that perhaps wasn't helped by having Deano, Barry Cotterill, Heathy, Johnny Hussain and Andy Lindon all out. The main positive from today was seeing Carl Buchanan getting 70 minutes under his belt after being off with that knee injury and the young Moores putting in a decent performance in net.

At least the players won't have a full week to dwell on this defeat as Norton United visit Park Road on Wednesday evening. We need a win....

Pictures from the day can be seen by clicking here

TEAM: Moores, Clarke, B Roberts, Fellows, A Roberts, Brocklehurst, Riley, MacDonald, Flanagan, Myers, Buchanan (Brokenbrow). Subs: Brokenbrow

Cheadle Town 0-4 Maine Road

Many thanks to Paul Lynch for the words and Polardin for the pictures!

I have to admit I was really looking forward to this game: a quarter-final against a team one division above us...and you know the results that Cheadle have achieved in the past, against teams from a higher division! And although I don't want to admit it, but apart from the first 20 minutes, when we totally outplayed our opponents, the rest of the game belongs to Maine Road, who in the end were just too good for us on the day.

I am not saying we were poor because we weren't! We started the game really well and Maine Road were rocked back on their heels a few times. For example, after only five minutes we could have been 1-0 up when Arron Riley went on a run and beat two defenders before unleashing a great shot that just went over the bar with the Maine Road keeper scrambling.

Then on 10 minutes, Dean Martin puts Andy Mcdonald through but he just couldn't get enough purchase on it to beat the keeper, five minutes later and Jonny Hussain shoots over after good work from Deano and Mac.

Then it all changed! Andy Lindon was injured in a tackle and we conceded a corner from the outcome and Andy had to come off, so we defend the corner with 10 men and guess what? Maine Road score from it! A header from Chris Smith Maine Road's number 8, gets in a good header and we are 0-1 down.

Lindon had to be replaced by Scott 'the wasp' Flanagan and he goes upfront with Deano who shoots over from a free kick on 35 minutes. At this stage Maine Road have ridden the storm and are beginning to put some passes together for the first time in the game, having got the goal against the run of play they have grown in confidence.

Just before half time, Dean and Baz Cotterill both have shots saved but on 38 minutes we are two down! Beckford the Maine Road number 9 shoots and Peter Mellor in our goal injures himself trying in vain to save it, he collided with the post, being Mellor he just got on with it after treatment - he's made of girders! HT 0-2.

Second half begins and Maine Road start the better and Mellor makes a good save to stop a third goal. On 70 minutes Trev and Steve send on Mike Myers for Arron Riley, who has a calf strain. Soon after Ben Roberts sends a 'screamer' towards the Maine Road goal and is unlucky to see their keeper make a great save.

But on 78 minutes our cup dream is over as Smith scores his second by lobbing Mellor and its just not our day. Andy Mcdonald is replaced by Brad Brokenbrow and we are still trying as 'the wasp' makes the Maine Road make another good save but two minutes later and Maine Road tie the game up with a fourth, Beckford gets his second after Cheadle defenders had charged down several shots, his shot just evaded everyone and rolled into the net! This scoreline definitely flattered Maine Road as even the ref said that they were not four goals better than Cheadle.

But let's not be bitter, it was a good cup game played in the right way and we should wish our visitors all the best for the semi finals - so good luck Maine Road. If you are as clinical as you were today you should have a chance.

On a positive note to finish it was good to see Carl Buchanan named amongst the substitutes after his bad injury - welcome back Carl!

Photos from the day can be seen by clicking here

TEAM: Mellor, Clarke, B Roberts, Cotterill, Fellows, Brocklehurst, Riley, MacDonald, Lindon, Martin, Hussain. Subs: Myers, Brokenbrow, Flanagan, Buchanan

Holker Old Boys 1-0 Cheadle Town

Cheadle Town's woeful record at Rakesmoor Lane continued with this 0-1 reversal in an utterly dire match.

In a period of ninety minutes where goal-bound chances are at a premium, it's usually a defensive error that breaks the stale deadlock. And so it proved today as - three minutes after the restart - Cheadle were the unlucky creditors as two of our defenders got in each others' way to a through ball, allowing a Holker forward with the easy task of popping the ball into the net.

Without that one abberation from our defence this game would have got the scoreline it deserved. Holker didn't really have any clear-cut chances apart from their goal and Cheadle - despite carving out some really attractive passages of play at times - didn't have a shot on target all match.

There really isn't much else to say about the match, so I'll move on to other matters. For the second time in succession we were treated to glorious weather for our longest journey of the season (it makes the 200-mile drive that little bit easier!) and Holker were gracious and friendly hosts once again. To the Holker fan who has left a comment on the previous post, we might just stick around for a bit longer post-match next season!

One more thing...and it proved to be the football-related highlight of the day. Cheadle Town's traditional colours of white-black-black may be making a comeback for next season. Watch this space.

Scrub this one from the memory banks. Onto next Saturday and the League Challenge Cup Quarter-Final versus Maine Road....

Photos from the day can be seen by clicking here

TEAM: Mellor, Heath, Hussain, Cotterill, Fellows, Brocklehurst, Riley, MacDonald, Flanagan (Brokenbrow), Martin, Lindon. Subs: Myers, Brokenbrow.

Cheadle Town 0-2 Chadderton (Match report no.2)

And now for Paul Lynch's match report - thanks Paul!:

If you want excitement then come down Park Road to Cheadle Town! I've just witnessed four sendings off (all Cheadle players and management!), plenty of bookings, a referee that lost the plot and completely spoiled the game, an alleged 'spitting incident', a penalty claim for Cheadle turned down, 2 goals for Chadderton, oh, and a football match in there somewhere!

The game started brightly enough and it was 'even stevens' for the first quarter of an hour, with both sides having openings but little to actually trouble the keeper's with. But that was to change on 23 minutes when Paul Ashton scored for Chadderton from a mix-up in our defence which gave Mellor, in our goal, no chance.

That gave us a bit of a jolt and we battered 'Chaddy' for the rest of the half, but their keeper - who must get a special mention - was absolutely outstanding and kept the score 0-1 for them. First he saved from a tremendous strike from Rob Brocklehurst, then Andy Lindon beat two players and tried his luck but another save this time tipped round the post, last but not least, Andy Mcdonald skipped past a couple of defenders and blasted towards the top corner only to see his shot tipped over the bar! Tremendous stuff!

Then just before half time, Trev and 'Hillsy' had to make our first substitution, with Brad Fallows coming on for Mike Myers; just after this Arron Riley headed over from a corner and Andy Mac shot wide and the ref blew his whistle for half-time.

The calm before the storm. We kick off the second half and we started as we had finished with Andy Lindon shooting at the keeper and him making another very good save! This time the ball rebounded to Dean Martin but he stumbled and the ball was cleared.

Just on the hour it was our keeper who had to be at his best to keep out a strike from 'Chaddy's' number 7, then at the other end Arron Riley went through on goal but slipped on a divet at the vital moment and the ball rolled through to the Chadderton keeper.

Then in the 80th minute, we were denied a penalty when Deano was pushed in the back in the Chadderton box; Deano called the ref a something or other and ended up being sent off! So we're 0-1 down and now have ten men.

Trev and Hillsy now bring on Scott Clarke for Adam Roberts who has a groin strain and just to make things worse, 'Chaddy's' number 12, Taylor (who looked well offside!) goes through unchallenged and chips Mellor into our net to make it 0-2.

This is where all hell broke loose as allegedly (and I didn't see the incident - but quite a few did!) the number 8 from Chadderton spat at one of our players and this incensed our club captain Barry Cotterill, who went over to remonstrate with the linesman, who he thought must have seen the incident, and ended up being sent off by the referee! Down to nine men and 0-2 down!

Then this spilled over to the other players and the Cheadle dugout, who then had Trevor, our manager and Scott Flanagan, one of our substitutes, both sent off by the referee, whom by this time had completely lost the plot and the game and by the shoving and pushing that was going on, had lost the players as well!

A real shame, because what had started as a bright but physical game, had developed into farce, as he blew the final whistle, he left behind a rather bemused crowd, who felt that there were no winners today and this game will not be one to remember in the history of both clubs I shouldn't think!

And by the way, the 'match' finished 2-0 to Chadderton.

TEAM: Mellor, Heath, Cotterill, A Roberts (Clarke), Hussain, Brocklehurst, Lindon, MacDonald, Riley, Myers (Fallows), Martin. Subs; Flanagan, Fallows, Clarke.

Scroll down for links to the pictures and Polardin's words of wisdom.....

Cheadle Town 0-2 Chadderton

Cheadle Town have exited the Division Two trophy with a somewhat chaotic home defeat at the hands of Chadderton. Here's Polardin's take on the game, with additional words from Paul Lynch to follow tomorrow [Sunday]:

The first half of this was a well-contested, end-to-end flowing football battle. The heavy pitch lead to some heavy tackles that the referee ignored; in doing so he lost the players' respect - the idea that you can foul because the referee doesn't care was very much the order of the day....

Despite two goalmouth scrambles where it would have been easier to score than miss, Chadderton did miss. Despite three first-half cracking efforts by Deano, Broky and Lindon, Cheadle couldn't score either. A bundled effort for Chadderton meant 0-1 at half time.

The second half started with the same momentum; it was beginning to be one of the best games I've seen. Then an offside denied Chadderton a 2-0 lead, followed by the save of the season by Mellor. Then a brawl in our box with both teams losing discipline that was ignored by the referee which led to incident after incident with every tackle veering on a fowl, and after every fowl, lots of verbals.

Maybe then it was, with hindsight, inevitable that when Deano was pushed in the box and it didn't result in a penalty, Deano would end up being sent off for dissent. In addition, handing Barry and our manager red cards while yet another brawl was being carried out in the centre of the pitch just seemed ridiculous. We were down to nine men and what was a great game was descending into farce. I almost forgot - during all this they scored again to put paid to Cheadle's Div 2 Trophy campaign for this season.

The only thing the referee did right all day was to blow dead on 90 mins, but in doing this he still managed to ignore the extra 10 that had been lost due to his erratic behaviour!

This could have been a 'game of the season' but in the end, the referee had his day...and it is him we'll remember and not the game....

Photos from the day can be seen by clicking here

Cheadle Town 3-2 Runcorn Linnets

A Deano goal eight minutes into stoppage time nudged Cheadle Town into the quarter-finals of the League Challenge Trophy and gave us our third Div 1 scalp in a cup competition this season.

In my preview for this match I said that - against Div 1 opposition - we needed a bit of luck. Cheadle were duly granted said fortune on the 38-minute mark when the Runcorn 'keeper delivered a poor goalkick straight to the feet of Mike Myers; desperate for a goal (he hasn't scored since the start of the season) he went for the audacious chip and got his reward. His act of putting Cheadle ahead compensated for his "miss-of-the-season" candidate after 13 minutes when he rounded the 'keeper and blasted wide with the goal at his mercy.

Three minutes into the second half and lady luck smiled on Cheadle once more to give them a two-goal lead. Deano chased a through ball and had the easiest of tasks to roll it into an empty net after a horrendous mix-up between the Linnets 'keeper and a defender.

Two-nil up we may have been, but there was still plenty of the match remaining. There was always that gnawing doubt that if Runcorn were to pull one back then Cheadle would have their work cut out and one hell of a battle on their hands; Runcorn are a Div 1 outfit, after all.

And so it proved. Runcorn laid siege to the Cheadle penalty box with a dolly mixture of forced corners and crosses into the box. They knocked on the door of pulling level on 67 minutes when they headed a corner in and then had both their feet across the threshold with just four minutes of the match remaining when another cross was headed in by their number 5.

I, at that point, thought that the match would go one of two ways: Runcorn would nick it at the death or they'd pummel us something like 4-2 in extra-time as there looked like only one team capable of scoring...and it wasn't us. Despite seeing our backs to the walls, Polardin maintained that there was another goal in us yet.

I really should listen to him more. With the match entering some sort of never-ending time-warp and eight minutes on the stoppage clock, Arron Riley belted the ball across the face of the goal where Deano was on hand to bundle in from about a yard out. Cue pandemonium from me, that look of "I told you so" from Polardin and then the referee's whistle to signal another great cup day for Cheadle Town.

I'm not at the Chadderton match next week. Probably a good job - another day like today and I'll be heading for the nearest cardiac unit....along with Trevor!

Actually, I said I'd give him a mention, so here goes. Trevor, congratulations for finally getting your broadband sorted out so that you can read this blog every week. It's about bloody time. Have fun reading through all of the old posts, match reports etc. - they should bring back a few memories of the past couple of seasons!!

Photos from today can be seen by clicking here

TEAM: Mellor, Heath, B Roberts (Clarke), Cotterill (Fellows), A Roberts, Brocklehurst, Riley, Hussain, Myers (Flanagan), Martin, Lindon. Subs: Fellows, Clarke, Flanagan, Brokenbrow