A Review Of The Trade Mark Collections East Cheshire League
Week Twenty Five –
Plenty of goals in the ECL this weekend with Boarhound and Puss In Boots bagging fifteen between them in two thumping wins against Old Alts and Mary Dendy. A last gasp win by Old Alts Vets against Club AZ means the title could be decided next weekend and Poynton’s win against Kingfisher in the Subsidiary Cup Group A means they look like favourites to make the semi-finals.
Boarhound 8 Old Alts 2
Alts finished their schedule of league fixtures with yet another heavy defeat this time at the hands of a rampant Boarhound but despite the score line they applied themselves with purpose and didn’t crumble as many teams might have done under sustained pressure. Alts actually got off to the better start , taking the lead in the first half but Boarhound scored four times before the break to guarantee the points . The second half mirrored the first with the hosts outscoring their visitors 4-1. Adam Officer hit a debut goal for Alts with Takunda Masungwa grabbing his fourth of the season. Jamie Collins led the scoring for Boarhound with two, whilst Andy Foote, Mark Sutton, Sean Gill, Craig Hulme and David Woodward were all on target . An own goal completed the eight.
Club AZ 1 Old Alts Vets 2
The Vets championship aspirations are still alive thanks to a virtuoso display of goalkeeping by Mark Higgs and two goals by Henry Finn and Tony Dawson. Higgs frustrated Club AZ all afternoon with a series of outstanding saves and showed just why he once plied his trade professionally north of the border. With the absence of a match official Dave Stephens took on the refereeing duties and in a generally good natured encounter he was praised for his efforts by the home side who took the lead with Paul Bethal’s seventh goal of the season. The Vets kept their nerve despite conceding possession and as full time approached they stole the points with a typical breakaway goal to leave Club AZ cursing the splendid form of man of the match Mark Higgs.
Mary Dendy 0 Puss In Boots 7
A thumping win for Puss In Boots against an in form Mary Dendy means the league leaders only require a point next weekend to retain the title they won last April. The score line might have raised a few eyebrows but didn’t surprise Puss manager Nick Edge. ‘We were magnificent today, I’m really pleased with the performance. We have had the potential to turn in a result like this all season but never quite got there and to do it against a side like Mary Dendy is special’
Puss in Boots shattered Dendy with three goals in the opening twenty two minutes after conceding much of the early possession to their hosts who created three presentable chances themselves. Simon Ainsworth grabbed the first with a low drive on nine minutes and Lee McIntyre soon made it 2-0 looping a header over the advancing Dendy keeper . Lee Malkin cheekily poked home a third and midfielder Ryan Stewart headed home a fourth five minutes before the break.
The second half saw the Puss in total control creating chance after chance. Lee McIntyre, Lee Malkin and Simon Ainsworth all helped themselves to further goals to leave Dendy feeling like the wind swept, rain sodden spectators- wondering what had just hit them!
Subsidiary Cup- group A
Poynton 1 Poynton Kingfisher 0
A Jack Faulkner goal puts Poynton in pole position at the top of group A with two wins out of two in this closely fought encounter at Woodford Rec. Referee George Gallimore was singled out by Poynton manager Tom Hardacre for his excellent handling of the game in what can be potentially a fiery fixture between two close rivals.
