Home v AFC Oldham

Result - Reddish North End 3 AFC Oldham 1

Team coach (James) views on the game:

A very important win today for the team which has brought a lot of pleasure to all the players and parents. When I first arrived at the park at 8.20am it was frozen hard and another postponement seemed on the cards. However, some of the Oldham team came down around 9.30 and were obviously keen to play, so with the sun getting warmer we left it as long as we are allowed under league rules and by 11.00am the pitch had thawed sufficiently to allow the game to go ahead. 

Having been let down yet again by another league appointed ref, we were indebted to Rob Meadows who cheerfully stepped into the breach and handled the game very well. But after 15 minutes I was beginning to wish we had got the game called off - Reddish were all over the show and bottom-placed Oldham had far too much pressure! From one corner they hit the bar and then Connor cleared one off the line, and shortly afterwards only a magnificent tackle from man-of-the-match Callum Nightingale prevented their striker from an almost certain goal. 

But at long last Reddish woke up a bit and started to use their pace to stretch the Oldham defence; Michael forced a couple of saves from their keeper, the second of which fell to Daniel who fired over from close range. That move looked offside to me I must say, but the move from which we went ahead through a shot from Michael most certainly wasn't, despite some loud and rather unpleasant protestations from some of the Oldham parents. I must say that Rob kept his cool remarkably well under provocation, especially from the Oldham assistant manager who conveniently forgot the uproar some of his decisions had caused when he refereed our game earlier in the season. At that time he told me "I give what I see" and so in truth can have no complaints from Rob doing exactly the same. This kind of behaviour on the touchline spread to the Oldham team, and fostering a "we-was-robbed" complex doesn't help the players keep their cool.

It was this that we tried to capitalise on second half, with the strong sun behind us, and we certainly created a lot more chances while their heads dropped a bit. Jamie hit the post and their keeper was in constant activity repelling through balls, but eventually one breakthrough saw Jamie compose himself and slot the ball home for 2-0. Almost immediately Oldham went up the other end and thanks to some truly ghastly Reddish defending, got one back, and their confidence grew again as we continued to spurn chances. Oldham squeezed one effort wide towards the end but thankfully for us we got forward again, and from the resulting corner a scramble saw Jamie collect the loose ball, cooly round the keeper and fire home for 3-1. A great bit of thinking and a super finish. 

It is ironic that had we had a league appointed ref he would quite possibly have called the game off in any case, but had we played I cannot imagine he would have tolerated the back chat from some of the Oldham parents and players in the way that Rob did. But to be fair, after the match all from the Oldham camp were gracious in defeat and we wish them well for the rest of their season. Credit to them for being willing to play also. But thanks again to Rob and well done to the boys who, despite being far from their best, did enough and registered 3 goals for the third successive match, as that vital third win of the season lifts us clear of the bottom two and puts us in good heart for our trip to Brendon Bees (two points ahead of us) next weekend.