And so to Manor Farm on Ridgeway Road in Timperley for a Lancashire and Cheshire League Division A clash between Cheadle & Gatley FC and AFC Stockport Titans.
Cheadle & Gatley JFC joined the Lancashire and Cheshire League this season after being crowned as Cheshire FA Club of The Year in 2024.
The club was formed in 1977 for junior footballers and the new Saturday team has commenced their first season in the LACL with a 7-2 home victory over Silver Birch.
AFC Stockport Titans are from Whitehill Playing Fields, aka South Reddish Park; the club was established in 2024.
This is their first season in the Lancashire and Cheshire League Division A, having finished fourth in Division B last term which earned promotion from their inaugural campaign.
They have started this time with a narrow 1-0 home loss to Newton Vikings and then a 2-2 home draw with Prestwich Marauders.
Numberplates accrued today are SHO3S, F14RES and ADD2. It's past Optimum Chiropractic, Wok Inn, Barberian, Marvel Guitars, the Moss Trooper and the long since shuttered Hare and Hounds.
Then The Curtain Doctor and Ink Today Gone Tomorrow before we reach Manor Farm.
Manor Farm comprises three open sides backing on to two more football pitches and at least five rugby fields, then farming land, trees and residential homes.
The one populated side hosts the changing rooms, Alfie's Island Cafe, Alt T and Bark Park Central.
Cheadle and Gatley are in blue with yellow and white trim sponsored by Euan Kellie Property Solutions. Meanwhile the Titans, with a female coach, are in red with black trim, sponsored by marketplaceeurope.
It's a breezy but fortunately dry afternoon with sunny spells before a crowd of 14. The game opens with Cheadle missing a succession of chances and several blocks on the line.
Finally on 17 minutes Dan Forrester is put through and reckless goalkeeping, charging out and getting nowhere near the ball - not for the first time - sees the centre forward round the Titans' custodian to make it 1-0. It only lasts for four minutes however as a hopeful ball catches on the wind allowing Stockport's David Parker to equalise.
On 24 minutes Titans' Liam James has an astonishing run which produces an even more tremendous save from Cheadle's keeper. But home superiority is restored on 33 with an initial shot saved and the rebound tucked away by Ben Preece; 2-1 at the break.
The second period starts with a dubious penalty for C & G - the first of a series of questionable refereeing decisions. It results in the game's only booking for Stockport's Kye Pollitt; Forrester comfortably rolls the ball home for 3-1.
A more blatant spot kick is not awarded shortly after... However Forrester outmuscles his defender on 52 and converts for his hat trick to make it 4-1 to Cheadle.
That deficit is reduced to 4-2 on 69 minutes by Parker, looking suspiciously offside. Then a Titans' moan that 'he's taking that throw from a different postcode' 😉
Three minutes on a powerful run and cut back is converted by the sliding Jack Payne, thrashing home for 5-2. The introduction of a clearly injured and limping Alex Chapman with ten minutes to go distracts the Stockport rearguard, producing horrible goalkeeping, as Luca Tarrant scores from the awaited corner, and we're at 6-2.
Thirty seconds later a Titans' breakaway makes it 6-3 via Dan Mellor. Then on 84 minutes sub Harvey Marsh flicks in a corner to reduce the arrears to 6-4... but that's how it stays 😃
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