Glorious 12

Reporter: Match of the Day by JOHN GILDER
Date published: 23 November 2012


Royton Athletic 5, Westwood 7

CLAYTON playing fields was what amateur football is all about.

Five of the six pitches in use, foundations for the new changing facilities in place, an autumn afternoon blessed with glorious sunshine and a cracker of match between Royton Athletic and Westwood.

Forget the scoreline for a moment, for this was a magnificent advertisement for the Midas Plumbing Oldham Sunday League between two teams from Martin Buckley Division Two eager for maximum points for different reasons.

Athletic, bottom of the pile with just one win so far (a second victory won’t be too far away) were obviously desperate for points to climb the table.

Westwood, on the other hand, had lost just once this season prior to this match and were keen to boost their promotion credentials.

There were three goals inside an electrifying first seven minutes.

And it was Athletic who shook their opponents with two of them, both from the trusty boot of Liam Siddall, whose awareness in the six-yard box was frightening.

At that early stage, Westwood secretary Nurul Hoque was a worried man indeed.

Hoque said: “I was in a state of shock. It was a slow start from us and we were a bit complacent.

But Hoque’s worries were eased when Monowar Hussain pulled a goal back for Westwood moments later.

 


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