Cheadle Town 2-4 Stalybridge Celtic (AET)

Cheadle bowed out of the Cheshire Senior Cup tonight, but not before running Stalybridge Celtic all the way and participating in a match which, for the five pound gate fee, made the Premiership look like the biggest waste of anybody's money.

Stalybridge had the better of the first half and the lion's share of possession, but both 'keepers were called into action and forced to make great saves. Deano saw a shot tipped over the bar on 24 minutes and our own Peter Mellor pushed away a well-taken free-kick just before half-time. The teams went into the break at 0-0.

Ten minutes into the restart and Cheadle found themselves two goals adrift: a well-placed shot on 50 minutes and then a static defence allowing a Staly' player to nod unhindered over the advancing Mellor. Trevor then made a triple substitution that turned the game on its head, bringing on Vinny, Aidy and Brocky for Heath, Hussain and Scott Flanagan.

A wonderful, flowing move ended with Deano turning the ball neatly into the corner of the net with a quarter of an hour to go, with the comback being completed by Aidy gracefully heading in Vinny's teasing cross with just two minutes to go.

And so it was onto extra time. Would this be the moment when fitness would play its part? It seemed so. In the 30 minutes of extra time, Cheadle had visibly tired and had effectively gone down to nine men as Aidy and Brocky were injured. Stalybridge took advantage and scored on 97 minutes (a header from a corner) and on 117 minutes (the ball finally being put into the back of the net after Mellor had parried a handful of efforts).

The players looked shattered at the end of the match which was no wonder as they really put the graft in during the second half. They deserve their break before they return to cup action again a week on Saturday away to Padiham in the FA Vase.

Photos from the evening can be seen by clicking here (I didn't take that many as I got too engrossed in the game!)

Tomorrow's Opponents: Stalybridge Celtic

This is the blog's 100th post!
To those of us who have kept more than a weather eye on the North West non-league scene over the years, Stalybridge Celtic need very little introduction.

'Celtic have spent most of their non-league life in the very top levels of the non-league pyramid, making them (on paper at least) a formidable opponent for Cheadle Town tomorrow evening. They currently reside in the Conference North which - hang on whilst I give my mental abacus a flick - puts them four leagues above our beloved CTFC.

Of note is their assistant manager Mark Atkins who of course has plenty of football league experience: he won the Premier£hip with Blackburn Rovers in 1995 and has also kicked balls for Wolves, Reading, Doncaster Rovers and Hull City before becoming number two to John Reed at 'Celtic.

CTFC were guttered 1-7 at the same stage of this cup competition last season. If they play like I know they can and have a little bit of luck to boot, then a shock result just might be on the cards and revenge just might be served as cold as it comes. This is cup football, anything's possible.......