Action Underway in Inaugural Cup Competitions

The eagerly awaited start of the second half of the season was disrupted by a stiff frost following on a snowy week casing the bulk of the matches on grass to be called off by frozen pitches.

A new pair of domestic cup competitions (the Geoff Garnett Cup) for teams in the Premier division and Division One and Two and (the Keith Marsden Cup) for teams in Divisions Three, A and B were set for inaugural preliminary rounds.

Only two games in the Geoff Garnett Cup were able to go ahead but they provided plenty of lively action.

Santos travelled to play Village Manchester on their excellent 3G surface and Josh Togg’s hat-trick inspired the visitors to a 5-1 win.

Togg opened the scoring for Santos and though the hosts quickly replied, Santos regained the lead on the stroke of half-time through Reece Holden’s left-foot drive.

Togg extended the lead early in the second half, and further goals from Tom Barnes and Togg’s hat-trick strike sealed the victory.

It was an excellent game well controlled and enjoyed by referee Roger Clegg and his two able assistants.

The other game was at Division Two Tintwistle Athletic Reserves who hosted Stretford Paddock Ams, but the Division One visitors were too hot handle with a comfortable 7-1 victory.

There was just one game in the Keith Marsden Cup and the all-Division A affair saw Silver Birch maintain their excellent league form with a gritty 3-2 win over Cheadle and Gatley.

In the Manchester Amateur Cup quarter finals East Manchester Galaxy, who are flying high in Division One, were at Rochdale Sacred Heart Reserves and looked good for victory as they led 2-0 at the break through Abdi RASHID and Mustafa AL-RUBAIAI..

But the home team upped their game after the break to secure a 3-2 win.

It was also the end for Moorside in a close encounter with Heywood St James Development.

The game ended goalless at the end of normal time and tense penalty shoot-out was won 5-4 by HSJ.

League action in the Premier Division was limited to just one game and Chadderton Cott kept in touch with the leading group with a comfortable 4-0 win at Abacus Media.

Also just one game in Division One which saw Didsbury win a local derby at Withington Wanderers by 3-1 and with games in had they are still well in the promotion hunt.

The only game played in Division Two saw Saddleworth 3D storm into a 6-0 lead over Moston Brook Reserves. Brook got their act together in the second half scoring the only goal.

No games survived in Division Three or Division A.

In Division B,  two games were played and Santos U23 defeated AFC Oldham A 2-0 to stay just behind the top two.

The Santos goals were scored by the two youngest players in their squad – 16-year-old Jake MARSLAND and 17-year-old Qudus AJAYI.

The other game saw Oldham Hulmeians keep an immaculate clean sheet in a 3-0 win over Manchester Victoria to stay in second place five points behind Stoconians Reserves but with four games in hand.