And we’re back for the first review of 2019. We hope everyone had a fantastic festive period and all the best for the new year. Fingers crossed we’ll see plenty of people back at it in the early part of the year.
LEAGUE NEWS
We are looking to get our THURSDAY 5-A-SIDE LEAGUE started at Cheadle Town over the next few weeks, starting with a mini tournament NEXT THURSDAY, 17th January. Spaces are limited so get in touch for details asap!
We’ve got our NEW MONDAY and TUESDAY leagues starting in the next few weeks, and spaces are available for new or returning teams (though those spaces are starting to run a little low in the Tuesday league…..)
We can always find space for new teams on our biggest league night, the SUNDAY league, as we have the availability of pitch spaces to add an extra division in. So even though the current league is full, there’s no harm in asking!
To get yourself signed up to Stockport’s BEST SMALL SIDED FOOTBALL LEAGUES, call or text 07809252658, or complete a ‘JOIN A LEAGUE’ form from the home page. Do it.
SUNDAY LEAGUE
With Whoppers absent this week, the rest had the chance to narrow the pretty big gap that’s been established. Gangs Of Dwight Yorke look the most likely challengers and faced Beercalona this week knowing a win would take them to within 6 points of the leaders with a game in hand. This looked highly likely in the first half as they went 5 up in the opening 16 minutes, Demell Cumberbatch with two, Callum Jones, Simon Hackney and Wayne Reeves with the others. Jay Ratcliffe got Beercalona on the board 6 minutes before the break, but it was by no means the start of a comeback as the wheels well and truly fell off for them in the second half. Cumberbatch and Hackney got 4 more each, Chris Singleton three, Reeves and Jones one each, with just the solitary Dave Seton(?) goal in reply for Beercalona who will quickly want to forget that this week happened……
BEERCALONA 2 GANGS OF DWIGHT YORKE 18
MOM: DEMELL CUMBERBATCH (GANGS OF DWIGHT YORKE)
It’s going to take a major effort for either Stockport Eagles or Bangers & Pash to make a push for the top two this season following their recent squad changes, but a win for either team this week would see them join Gangs on 6 points. There was only one goal in the first half, Zach Widdowson giving Bangers the edge at the break, and they seemigly had the game won when Olly McDonagh’s goal with 14 minutes left was quickly followed by an own goal to make it 3-0. This is how the score remained going into the final 5 minutes, where Ryan McAndrew’s 47th minute goal looked to have done nothing more than ruin Bangers chances of a clean sheet. When Michael Winn scored a minute later Eagles had two minutes to snatch an unlikely point, and they did so thanks to Ben Waugh’s last ditch leveler. Eagles never give up, but Bangers will be kicking themselves.
BANGERS & PASH 3 STOCKPORT EAGLES 3
MOM: OLLY MCDONAGH (BANGERS & PASH)
Sevilla Lacatalent were looking to make it 4 wins out of 4 to start their Championship promotion campaign, and faced Step Brothers in only their second game of the season. Their first was a narrow defeat, and this one looked likely to be just as close as Sevilla turned a two goal deficit into a 3-2 half time lead as Jake Riley’s double and Sam Melling’s strike turned things around after Chris Moore and Chris Sinclair had given Step Brothers the early advantage. Things turned back in the Brotherhood’s favour early in the second period as Sinclair and Josh Borthwick scored in the opening 5 minutes to give them the edge, but we were all square again with 18 to play as Melling got his second. Despite the best efforts of both teams, there were no more goals as Sevilla drop their first points of the season, while Step Brothers pick up their first.
STEP BROTHERS 4 SEVILLA LACATALENT 4
MOM: JAKE RILEY (SEVILLA LACATALENT)
Polish Army returned from their Christmas break with a game against FC AOTS that looked (as most games in this division do) too close to call. Paul Buckley and Steve Whittle gave AOTS an early two goal lead, but Bania quickly halved the deficit before Buckley restored the two goal lead with just 8 minutes on the clock. He scored again to keep them two clear after Filip had again reduced the AOTS lead, but there was only one goal in it at the break as Bania got his second 4 minutes from the whistle. There’s a slight possibilty that the festive excesses might have caught up with the Army in the second period, as AOTS ran away with it with three goals from Buckley, and two each from Adam Duty and Whittle, with just a late pair of Bania goals in response from the Poles.
FC AOTS 10 POLISH ARMY 5
MOM: PAUL BUCKLEY (FC AOTS)
With neither The Veterans or Deportivo Lack Of Talent playing this week, Fat Boys Run Wild had the chance to go three points clear at the top if they could beat Roman FC, who are still adapting to Ballers life and trying to nail down a settled squad. It all looked fairly straightforward for the promotion candidates in the first half as 4 goals from Curt Rothwell, two from Marcus Dean and one from Nicky Edards saw them lead 7-3 at the break, with Michael Winn scoring two and Kristian Anderson the other in reply for Roman. Dean and Edwards scored either side of a Bevan Hibbert goal to increase the Fat Boys lead to 5, but Roman won the second half as three late goals from Winn, against the one from Dean for Fat Boys was only enough to ensure a respectable final scoreline.
ROMAN FC 7 FAT BOYS RUN WILD 10
MOM: CURT ROTHWELL (FAT BOYS RUN WILD)
Stront Bakken were back this week, but it remains to be seen if they have a permanent league spot to go into. They took on Inter Your Sister this week who are in the process of rebuilding, but that process started well with a big win over Deportivo last week, and they lead 3-1 at the break thanks to goals from Chris Murray, Scott Norris and Craig Johnson, with Ryan Stringer grabbing Stront Bakken’s first goal on their return. Having got their team together at relatively short notice, with a couple of lads missing and no subs this week, it’s no surprise that the Bucket Boys fell away in the second half, with Leigh Edwards and Brandon Byers-Wilkes grabbing two, Dave Smythe, Johnson, Murray and Norris adding to an own goal as they ran out 12-3 winners, with Declan Matthews grabbing two in reply.
FC STRONT BAKKEN 3 INTER YOUR SISTER 12
MOM: CHRIS MURRAY (INTER YOUR SISTER)
At one point we never thought we’d see Team Tom back with us, but they were here for their first game of the season this week against SK Six. New boy Aaron Buczko got their first goal on 4 minutes, and doubled their lead on 17, before Kane Jordan pulled one back for SK before the break. Buczko looked to have given The Tommers the points with two goals in three minutes half way through the second period, but Harry Bridge pulled one back with 5 minutes remaining, and they got another through Henry Cooke, but didn’t have chance to chase a leveler as this was the last kick of the game.
SK SIX 3 TEAM TOM 4
MOM: AARON BUCZKO (TEAM TOM)
MONDAY LEAGUE
Grand Street Wanderers had the look of a team who could throw a spanner in the works of the top division title race in these cross over weeks, as they have adapted well to Ballers life after the first few weeks, and this week they faced title favourites Netsix & Chill. They got off to a flyer as Paul Langan smashed them in front in the first minute, and after Matty Aked levled things up rather fortunately in the 10th minute, the same two players exchanged goals to leave us at 2-2 7 minutes from the break. Langan added two more to his personal tally in the final 5 minutes of the half to put GSW in control, but as you can probably imagine, Netsix aren’t where they are for no reason and they hit back with goals from Aaron Campbell and James Bamgbose to make it 4-4 half way through the second period. Langan’s 5th of the game with 7 minutes remaining put GSW in front for the 4th time, and this time there was no coming back as Joe Bowden sealed victory in the last minute.
GRAND STREET WANDERERS 6 NETSIX & CHILL 4
MOM: PAUL LANGAN (GRAND STREET WANDERERS)
Netsix slip meant that Expected Toulouse could make top spot theirs with a win over Phantom Brazilians. The last time these two met it was a very one sided affair, but the early signs were that this one was going to be a little tighter as Daniel Clayton leveled for Phantom after Jordan Milne had given Toulouse an early lead. It looked like we would still be level at the break until Liam Mottram edged Toulouse in front a minute from the whistle, and we headed into the final 15 minutes with just the one goal in it. Milne and Mottram scored two in three minutes to ensure the points would be heading the Expected way, and Mottram and Niall Hillen added the gloss before Clayton grabbed a late consolation for Phantom. Expected are three points clear of Netsix, who have a game in hand.
EXPECTED TOULOUSE 6 PHANTOM BRAZILIANS 2
MOM: JORDAN MILNE (EXPECTED TOULOUSE)
The Championship top two went haed to head this week this week, with Diva Fever having the chance to open up a 7 point lead if they could beat Nice Buns. An open first half saw three goals in the opening 7 minutes as Buns lead twice through Paul Cheetham and Jimmy Williamson, with Lewis Arden scoring for Diva in between. Tom Dempsey increased the Buns lead on 15 minutes, but Nathan Wilkinson pulled one back just two minutes later. Buns lead by two at the break as Williamson got his second, but it was game on again as Joe Dodd made it 4-3 with 16 minutes left. Tom Hall edged Buns towards victory with a goal 9 minutes from time, but they were hanging on when Wilkinson got his second 5 minutes from time. They managed to see the game out, and it’s now all to play for at the Championship summit.
NICE BUNS 5 DIVA FEVER 4
MOM: PAUL CHEETHAM (NICE BUNS)
TUESDAY LEAGUE
The remaining Premiership teams have been temporarily re-homed in the Championship as the Tuesday league approaches it’s conclusion, but both Michu At De Gea Ba and Beercalona were defeated on their first Championship appearances before Christmas. Michu had a tough one this week against league leaders Bandit Athletic, and were quickly two down as Michael Winn and Connor Atkinson got on the score sheet in the opening 16 minutes. Michu hit back before the break to take us in all square at half time, Paul Rice and Alex Brady with the goals, but Bandit took a firm grip on the game early in the second period. Atkinson got two more in the first 11 minutes of the period, either side of further goals from Dylan Feast and Kyle Clarke to put them 4 in front. Matt Barton reduced the arrears for Michu with 12 to play, but Atkinson completed the scoring late on to give Bandit an impressive win.
BANDIT ATHLETIC 7 MICHU AT DE GEA BA 3
MOM: RAY DONNELLY (BANDIT ATHLETIC)
The second of the Premiership teams, Beercalona, faced second placed Shaka, and again it was the top division side who were up against it early on as Rob Cresswell, James Radcliffe (2), Liam Paull and Jonny McAuley all scored to put Shaka 5 up just before the break. Tom Ratcliffe pulled one back on the stroke of half time, but Matthew Pownall and Paull both scored to increase the Shaka lead in the first 5 minutes of the second half. Scott Williams and Ratcliffe both scored to reduce the Shaka lead to 4 with 12 minutes still to play, but Pownall, Paull and McAuley all added to the Shaka tally in the final 8 minutes to give them a comfortable win.
SHAKA 10 BEERCALONA 3
MOM: LIAM PAULL (SHAKA)
FC AOTS faced a last minute patch up job in El Caliente, but it didn’t seem to negatively affect the mix ‘n’ match team in the first half as Nathan Wilkinson, Mike Devitt, Danny Murphy and Steve Sammons gave them the edge at the break with Adam Atherton grabbing a couple and Tom Dennerly the other for AOTS. Atherton briefly made the scoreline level in the second minute of the second half, but Fidelis Eberegbe restored Caliente’s lead a minute later. From here on in, the more settled team took control, and from the minute Atherton leveled things up with 19 minutes to play they were never behind again. Kibs put them in front with 5 minutes left, and Atherton got his 5th with a minute left to play to ease them to a hard fought victory.
FC AOTS 7 EL CALIENTE 5
MOM: ADAM ATHERTON (FC AOTS)
The new look FC were back after a few issues towards the back end of last year, and they were facing the hit and miss Ballotellitubbies. Ballo lead 4-1 at the break after Dave Murphy, Jaden Heywood, Gary Peers and Stuart Barrignton had turned things around after Nicky Thirkill had given FC the lead. FC were first on the board again in the second half as Nicky Edwards pulled one back for them with 10 minutes left to play, but Murphy kept them at arms length with his second 5 minutes later. An own goal gave FC a glimmer of hope with 11 to play, but Murphy and Jason Higginson got two each in the final 10 minutes to give the scoreline a slightly flattering look.
FC 3 BALLOTELLITUBBIES 9
MOM: DAVE MURPHY (BALLOTELLITUBBIES)
WEDNESDAY LEAGUE
FC Rhino Ket made their Ballers return this week against the ever reliable Stockport Eagles, and they looked rusty from the start as two goals each from Ben Waugh, Ryan McAndrew and Mark Carruthers after a Michael Winn opener saw Eagles into the break with a 7-0 lead. They at least got off the mark in the second half, as Dave Peters and Jack Kerton got their first two goals since returning, but they did nothing to stop them from going in at the other end as Winn and McAndrew got two more, Waugh, Carruthers and Paul Waugh one each as Eagles started the new year with a comfortable win.
STOCKPORT EAGLES 14 FC RHINO KET 2
MOM: PAUL WAUGH (STOCKPORT EAGLES)
Unprotected Cesc had fun and games fielding a side this week, but the team they put out were involved in a competitive game with Out Of Shape FC, with Mike Pentland’s goal two minutes from the break the only goal of the opening half. They lost that lead in the opening minute of the second half as Tomasz Glebiowski made it 1-1, and Mariusz Koszla turned things right around with their second three minutes later. When Milosz Zawila scored with 16 minutes left to play they looked well in control, but Wes Hodkinson reduced the arrears 4 minutes later and we headed in to the final 10 minutes at 3-2. Pentland’s second 6 minutes from time made it all square again, and it was Cesc who nicked it with Danny Murphy’s last minute goal to give them their first win of the season.
UNPROTECTED CESC 4 OUT OF SHAPE FC 3
MOM: STEVE SAMMONS (UNPROTECTED CESC)