Town keep Cup dream alive

OLDHAM Town are through to the preliminary round of the FA Cup — but Chadderton are out of the competition despite a gutsy display at Maine Road.

Town were 2-0 winners at home to Ashton Athletic — Stuart McGill and Darren Scanlan got the goals — in a game held up by 50 minutes in the second half because of a serious injury to an Athletic player.

He was hurt in an innocuous challenge with Tim Buxton and the tie was only restarted after an ambulance had taken the stricken player to hospital. It was later discovered he had damaged ankle ligaments.

Town, from one division below Athletic in the Vodkat North-West Counties League, went ahead in the 12th minute when Scanlan collided with the goalkeeper and the ball ran loose to McGill, who fired home.

They added their second just before half-time, this time Scanlan volleying home a James Curley cross at the far post.

Town will now play host to Rossendale United on Saturday, August 30.


CHADDERTON, who welcome Rochdale Town to Broadway tonight in division one of the North-West Counties League (kick-off 7.45pm), lost 2-1 at Maine Road.

Manager Paul Buckley made several changes to the side which had beaten Leek CSOB in midweek, so was not too downhearted.

Nathan Jackson scored for Chadderton with a deflected shot to cancel out an early effort from Luke Mack.

Chris Carruthers, Chris Pauley and Lewis Maynard went on to miss good chances for Buckley’s boys, before Otis Thomas struck a late winner for Maine Road.


NEW Mossley manager CHRIS Willcock made a flying start with a 2-0 win at Clitheroe in the UniBond League division one north.

And it was Michael Fish, one of only a handful of players to be retained from last season’s squad, who grabbed both goals in the 21st and 41st minutes.