Dogged boro get close

Oldham’s Nick Alexander (right) gets in a cross as Cheadle’s Aaron Riley tries to block.

NON-LEAGUE FOTBALL: IT wasn’t for the want of trying that Oldham Boro were knocked out of the Vodkat First Trophy at the second-round stage.

They were beaten 3-2 by Cheadle Town at the Whitebank Stadium, but manager Tony Mills could take plenty of positives from the performance.

Boro, who fielded two new players in defender Andrew Lee and forward Jermaine Steele, went into the break a goal behind, despite dominating the opening 45 minutes. Aaron Riley scored for the visitors on the half-hour mark.

The home side were eventually rewarded for their hard work when Callum O’Sullivan equalised three minutes after the restart, but a stunning strike from Neil Logan and a Joe Yoffe effort put Cheadle, who are seven places above their hosts, in command.

Boro never gave up and Arnold Nsimba reduced the deficit with two minutes to go when he followed up his own shot which had ricocheted off the ’keeper.

He was denied a second by the Cheadle number one, who somehow turned his strike over the crossbar.

Boro threw everyone forward, including ’keeper Danny Pearson, in their attempt to force an equaliser. And Pearson was so nearly the hero when, from a corner, he was presented with a free header, but was unable to find the net.


CHADDERTON were kicking their heels for the fourth consecutive weekend after their Vodkat First Trophy second-round tie against Rochdale Town was called off because of a waterlogged pitch.

Chris Willcock’s Mossley side suffered the same fate at home to Ossett Albion in the UniBond League division one north.