And so to Banky Lane for a Cheshire League Division Two mid-week fixture between Mersey Valley FC and Bollington Town FC.
Mersey Valley FC from Banky Lane, which lies on the border of Sale and Carrington, was set up in 2014, joining the Cheshire League Division 2. The Ambers gained promotion in 2016, but dropped back in 2018 despite finishing mid table. Valley then resigned mid season 2019/20 with their results expunged.
The club reformed and was readmittted this summer to the Cheshire League, starting with 4 home fixtures - defeats 2-6 to Haydock FC and 0-5 to West Didsbury & Chorlton Reserves, and draws 2-2 against Stretford Paddock and 1-1 with Pilkington Reserves and then a sweltering 2-0 away defeat at Lymm Rovers last Saturday. Their motto of 'Health and Happiness' rather misplaced currently.....
Bollington
Town FC was established in 2021, but strangely were champions of the Altrincham
and District League Division One in both the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons.
Bolly play at the Bollington Recreation Ground just outside Macclesfield, and, after being elevated to the Cheshire League have started with four straight victories.
Beyond
Arthur's Tree, The Old Pelican, Siddalls Bridge and a dog pooh fairy that
doesn't exist (!) brings me to Manor Avenue. Thereafter the Sam Brooks pub, the
Racecourse Estate, rebranded as 'Our Sale West', then Manor Academy 'Succeeding
Together' and Mersey Farm. Numberplates on view tonight are SO11JA W, CL0 8OOT
and H20 PTP (Pete The Pipe), plus a gardener advertising as Never Mower...
That brings me to Banky Lane, the sewage works to the right and Mersey Valley Sports Club on the left. The club also hosts Sale Amateurs FC on an adjoining pitch, rugby in the form of Ashton on Mersey RUFC and a bowling green - a hoofed clearance in the first few minutes landing on the green, disturbing the bowls matches in progress. The iconic liveried shipping container is at the far end, the clubhouse adjacent and the other two sides are tree lined - and with midges again the sewage works......
Mersey Valley
are in amber with a black stripe, Bollington in change black and white stripes
with yellow trim. Kick off is pushed back to 1845, the crowd is 30ish, and Town
waste three glorious chances in the first five minutes, one from an appalling
back pass matched by an equally shocking one on one miss.
No matter as Josh Connolly stabs home from a yard on 7 minutes, and when the ball comes back off the post thrashes home the rebound two minutes later, which prompts a very early home substitution. The Ambers, in a rare attacking foray, see a header drift wide from a long throw, but it's all Bolly, pressing high and depriving Valley of their possession dominated game plan. Several more opportunities are spurned - the Valley keeper having a blinder - before Connolly cuts inside and squeezes, left footed, the ball inside the post for his hat trick on 37 minutes; Town lead 3-0 at the break.
More of the same in the second half - Bolly go four up on 54 minutes, with a short corner converted by Nathan Jackson, the ball squirming through the keeper's hands. The home custodian goes down with cramp shortly after - no wonder given how overworked he has been !!
5-0 arrives ten minutes later as a gorgeous through ball sees four Bolly attackers squabble over who will score, the Ambers' shotstopper performing heroics, his defenders absent without leave, and eventually Connolly delivers the coup de grace. And that's how it finishes, Bolly passing up more chances and the Ambers forcing one tip over - Town deserved winners, but they should have had more....
