A goal in each half meant that we eventually progressed to the quarter final stages of the Manchester Premier Cup after a hard fought encounter against our local rivals.
Alex Frost made five changes from the team which began Saturday’s league game against Bury AFC, with Kyle Harrop, Kane Wallwork, Tommy Lent, Lee Knight and Liam Ellis all coming into the starting eleven.
Both sides started the ninety minutes at full throttle and the first chance of the game came for the visitors, when Grant Shenton was forced to sprint off his line to clear a loose ball heading towards Chadderton’s Mendes. Avro’s response was led by Wallwork when he drove forward and tried his luck from the edge of the area, but Oldham got down quickly to keep his attempt out. Almost immediately afterwards, a cross by Shaquille Lewys was met by Liam Ellis who guided the ball into the bottom right corner. Oldham was injured in the collision with the Avro striker, meaning that substitute midfielder Malachi Clarke had to take on the role between the sticks.
Except for a few half chances and tough tackles, there was not much goalmouth action in the remainder of the first half apart from when Jake Cottrell fancied his chances from distance, with Clarke making a comfortable catch to keep his side in the game.
The second half started with Chadderton in the ascendancy as a deep cross eventually fell into the path of Hacking whose powerfully struck shot from close range was brilliantly kept out by Shenton. On the hour mark, a foul on Mendes led to a free kick for the visitors in a dangerous area, but Flynn’s subsequent attempt flew inches over the crossbar. Mendes was the next Chaddy player to have a goalscoring opportunity, but he could not keep his shot down and it flew high and wide of Shenton’s left post. In the 73rd minute, the home side launched a swift counter attack but substitute Muis Bibire Bello’s shot was well blocked by a Chadderton defender.
With five minutes remaining, Bibire Bello latched onto a well weighted through ball but was denied his first goal of the season by the stand in keeper’s outstretched boot. However, with the last kick of the game, Cottrell tried his luck again from distance, and this time his perfectly flighted chip evaded Clarke to seal our progress in the competition.
