Hollinwood’s sights on treble

AMATEUR FOOTBALL:

HOLLINWOOD, from the Bridgewater Office Supplies Manchester League, are gearing up for an assault on three pieces of silverware.

Paul Bennett’s side are through to the final of the Manchester FA Challenge Trophy, they are in the last eight of the Gilgryst Cup and are going great guns in the premier division.

Riding the crest of a wave, Hollinwood are hoping to maintain their excellent run of form in the weeks ahead.

They beat East Manchester 5-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup, a competition they first won three years ago.

Leading 2-1 from the first leg, goals from Scott Yates (two) and Anthony Robinson sealed a showdown with division one outfit Beechfield United, conquerors of Maine Road reserves in the other last-four tie.

Bennett said: “Confidence is up after beating East Manchester.

“We thought they would really come at us being a goal down, but that never happened, which was a bit surprising, and we won quite comfortably in the end.

“It’s Rochdale Sacred Heart away tomorrow in the Gilcryst Cup, so that’s another big game, and we’re still in with a chance of the league.

“We can’t be complacent, we’ve got to knuckle down every week.

“It’s a very tight division, with teams at the bottom capable of turning over the teams at the top.”

It wasn’t all good news for the Hollinwood club last weekend as their reserves lost 1-0 to Heaton Mersey in the quarter-finals of the Manchester FA Amateur Cup.

Danny Stocks scored the all-important goals for the Lancashire and Cheshire League side.

A hard frost put paid to more than half of the Manchester League programme.

But Avro reserves’ division two top-of-the-table clash against Manchester Gregorians went ahead.

And it was Avro who emerged victorious, sealing a 3-2 win in an action-packed, five-goal second half, to stay in touch with pacesetters Dukinfield Town.

Results —

Premier division: Manchester Gregorians 5, Atherton Town 2.

Manchester FA Challenge Cup semi-final, second leg: East Manchester 1, Hollinwood 3 — Hollinwood won 5-2 on agg; Maine Road Res 1, Beechfield United 2 — Beechfield won 5-3 on agg.

Division one: Monton Amateurs 3, Pennington 2; Salford Victoria 5, Heywood St James 3.

Division two: Avro Res 3, Manchester Gregorians Res 2; Prestwich Heys Res 3, Old Alts Res 0; Wythenshawe Amateurs Res 1, Leigh Athletic Res 1.

Manchester FA Amateur Cup: Bedians 2, Dukinfield Town Res 3; Fives Athletic Res 3, Manchester Medics 4; Hollinwood Res 0, Heaton Mersey 1.

Division four: Manchester Gregorians ‘B’ 4, West Didsbury & Chorlton ‘A’ 2; Salford Victoria Res 4, Leigh Athletic ‘A’ 0.

All other games postponed.


ALL fixtures in the D&J Builders (North-West) Ltd Oldham Sunday League and Ashton Sunday League were postponed because of frozen pitches.