Draw sends Chaddy out on a high?

Non-league football

CHADDERTON’S 1-1 draw at AFC Liverpool ended the Vodkat North West Counties League first division promotion hopes of their rivals.

And if this is to prove Chadderton’s last-ever game, they certainly went out on a high and really should have won.

With Chadderton’s future in doubt as they face losing their Broadway ground, their home for the last 63 years, the last game of the season was always going to be an emotionally-charged occasion.

Chadderton could have been four goals ahead by the time Andy McCoy’s penalty put AFC Liverpool in front late in the opening half. Ben Greenidge was the Chadderton offender with a late tackle.

Before that Paul Ashton twice, Andy Pheby and Keith Melville had all gone close.

But the half ended on a bad note as following McCoy’s goal came the loss of Pheby who snapped ankle ligaments and had to be taken by ambulance to hospital.

Gareth Morris and Ashton both had chances to equalise early in the second half before Chadderton keeper Lee Swanson made a great save to ensure they did not go down two down.

Chadderton’s equaliser came late in the game when Chris Pauley’s perfect cross from the right was converted by substitute Chris Crothers who found the net with a diving header into the top corner from six yards.

Swanson made another great save in the dying seconds as Chadderton held on for a point which could quite easily have been three.

Chadderton reserves drew 2-2 at Ashton Athletic, Dave Gallagher - normally goalkeeper - scoring both goals as he played outfield for the day.


OLDHAM TOWN defeated Irlam 3-1 in their final home league game of the campaign in the first division of the Vodkat NWCL.

Tom Hughes fired Town ahead in the sixth minute with a low shot from the edge of the box following an Alex Dibley corner.

James Curley doubled Town’s advantage on the half hour slotting home a right-wing cross.

Ryan Hutchinson halved the deficit shortly before half time, but Town restored their two-goal advantage within two minutes of the restart through a Damian Schofield penalty awarded after a handball.

Town ought to have won by a wider margin as Hughes, Curley, Hughes and Schofield all had chances in the second period.