Turner comes up trumps

Sunday League Football:

Blue Club 0, Old Grey Mare 1
ADEN Turner's seventh minute goal was enough to give Old Grey Mare a precious three points in this bottom-of-the-table clash in the D and J Builders (North-West) Ltd Oldham Sunday League Martin Buckley Division Two.

In a game of extremely limited goalscoring opportunities — due in no small part to some miserly defending from both sides —Turner was the one player to take the chance that came his way.

With nothing but a chink of light between the Mare striker and the Blue Club goal, Turner took a swipe from 18 yards out and the pace and unnerving accuracy of the effort proved good enough to find its way into the back of the net.

With the goal coming so early on in the game, it could have been the signal for a goal fest.

But defences were on top, with Blue Club's Charlie Clarke especially dominant at the back and player-manager Stuart Wilson similarly effective for Mare.

Goal fest it certainly was at professional level at Old Trafford, where Manchester City routed Manchester United in the Premier League.

That match in particular would have been witnessed by a good many Oldham Sunday League footballers, whose teams were given the day off to watch the derby.

While not wishing to contest the Oldham Sunday League's decision to grant teams the day off to watch United v City, it did seem a shame that on such a perfect afternoon for football on Clayton playing fields, three pitches were unused.

And there was me, just a few short weeks ago, spouting about how vibrant Clayton playing fields was on a day when both City and United were in televised action.

After this match there were similar comments from both managers.

Mare's Wilson said: "It was a bit of a stalemate match.

“It never looked like we were going to see goals aplenty.”

Blue Club boss Keith Tickle added: "It was a pretty even game and although I think we played fairly well, we couldn't create many chances."

BLUE CLUB: Dyson, D Tickle, A Tickle, Clarke, Greenwood, Madden, Jackson, J Tickle, Thorpe, Rogers, Keegan. No subs.

OLD GREY MARE: Hardingham, Billing, Wilson, Heppenstall, Whittaker, Malloy, Harrison, Barratt, Scholes, Fairbrother, Turner. Sub: Flaherty.

Referee: K Cholijac