21 January
As the January weather continued to play havoc with the ROAFL fixture list league newcomers Bridge have quietly opened what may well prove to be a significant gap at the top of the Matthew Montgomery & Co Division 2 table. Sterling individual performances from Simpson on debut in goal and O’Donoghue up front for Horse & Farrier meant the leaders had to work harder than they may have thought necessary for their tenth win of the campaign but they prevailed comfortably enough in the end thanks mainly to the sharp finishing of four goal Gavin Lynskey.

Bridge then followed up with a 7-2 win at Sudden Carling, a defeat which puts a serious dent in Sudden’s own hopes of an instant return to Division 1. The dismissal of Whitworth did nothing to aid Sudden’s cause and a George Haynes hat trick served to emphasise the quality of his side’s play.

Bridge will be grateful to fellow newcomers White Lion who rediscovered their early season form in defeating second placed AFC Royton 4-1 and then taking a point from their clash with Wardle 3rds at Firgrove.

Lion dominated the first half of their clash with Royton as a combination of simple one touch football, good movement and strong tackling should have seen them with more to show at the interval than a solitary Reeve goal on fifteen minutes. Royton might have thought the elements would assist them in the second period but within ten minutes they were three down as Cleworth struck twice in quick succession before Bainbridge was left unmarked to head the fourth on seventy minutes. A late consolation from Atkinson was little comfort to a Royton side that need to pick up their form again as the chasing pack close in on them.

Elsewhere in this division Woodbank continued their improved form with a 3-1 away win at Castleton 2nds courtesy of goals from McKenna, McDonald and Hancock and Fothergill & Whittles 3rds recorded their fourth win in five as they edged out Jacks House 2nds by the odd goal in nine at Walsden Rec.

Having managed just thirteen goals in their first twelve league games Waggon scored six in just ninety minutes against Castleton at Matthew Moss – yet still failed to record their first win of the season as goals from Brierley (2), Horrocks, Needham, Faulkner and Matthews earned Castleton a point!

Matterson Cranes Division 1 leaders Wardle 2nds were also held by improving Rochdale Asia at Rutherford Park and Weavers 2nds moved back into fourth place after a 2-0 home win over Hargreaves.

In the one Premier Division game to survive the weather FC Bury Town moved into one of the top four places as a Kamran Younis hat trick fired them to a 5-0 away win at Roca Juniors ; sadly a result that proved the final straw for the Roca management as, after the game, they tendered their resignation from the league with immediate effect citing a lack of interest and co-operation from their registered players.

As it becomes ever harder to maintain Saturday afternoon football at grass roots level the management committee will work closely in support of any of our member clubs to help them maintain their league status and we thank the Roca management for the services they have rendered to the league over the past seasons.