AFC Didsbury - Hargreaves, Mackie, Rogers, Battersby (C), Jaffray, Robins, Harrison, Stiff, MacHugh, Corbett, Trecarichi (New).

Goals: Robins, Trecarichi, Stiff, Corbett, New
Assists: Harrison, Battersby, MacHugh, Corbett
Man of the Match: Rogers

AFC Didsbury battle the elements and see off Sierra Stars

A penalty awarded midway through the second half converted by Mike Stiff proved crucial in the context of the match and sent Didsbury on their way to victory.

Blustery conditions greeted both teams playing at Hough End and keeping the ball on the deck to avoid the strong winds was essential.  Didsbury were given a wake-up call when Hargreaves was forced into an early save one on one early on. However, after 15 minutes Didsbury opened the scoring, as Leigh Robins was first to react to the rebound, after Matt Harrison’s low drive was palmed out by the Stars’ keeper.  Didsbury doubled their advantage after a free-kick was flighted upfield it was flicked on by stand in Captain John Battersby and Paul Trecarichi applied a glancing header into the far corner.

Sierra Stars pulled a goal back after a corner was only half-cleared and a flighted ball from a tight angle found the far corner.  Didsbury were reeling after dominating possession but held out to half-time with a slender advantage.

Sierra Stars started the second half stronger and following a scramble in the penalty area they were level with a neat finish into the bottom right leaving Hargreaves no chance.  Didsbury responded and after Kieran MacHugh picked the ball up on the left wing he cut inside and was adjudged to have been tripped in the area.  After an agonising wait of more than five minutes while tempers flared from Sierra Stars eventually Mike Stiff held his composure and coolly slotted the penalty to give Didsbury the lead once again.

Mike Corbett capitalised on a short backpass to the Sierra Stars goalkeeper and charged down his clearance and held his nerve to restore the two goal advantage.  With 15 minutes to go Sierra Stars threw everything at the Didsbury back four and were rewarded when a dinked ball over the defence wasn’t dealt with and the forward stepped in to round Hargreaves and give Sierra Stars a lifeline.  It wasn’t to be however as Didsbury broke forward and Mike Corbett held his nerve to round the goalkeeper and hold the ball up for Gareth New to smash home the goal that clinched the game at the death.

Words by David Hargreaves

AFC Didsbury - Hargreaves, Musson (C), Rogers, Battersby, Jaffray, Robins (Quaye), Creasey, Stiff (Trecarichi), MacHugh, Corbett, Harrison.

Goals: Corbett (2), Harrison (2), Stiff, OG (Celta), Trecarichi
Assists: MacHugh, Creasey, Robins (2), Harrison, Musson
Man of the Match: Corbett

Seventh heaven for AFC Didsbury as they emerge victorious in an 11-goal thriller

A strong second half performance from AFC Didsbury scoring 5 goals put an end to their dismal recent form and back to winning ways.

The match started at a frenetic pace with AFC Didsbury pressing high and hard on the Celta back four and it wasn’t long before their approach paid dividends.  A whipped ball into the box from Kieran MacHugh was met with a looping header by Mike Corbett dropping just under the bar to put Didsbury 1-0 up.

Matt Harrison doubled the lead minutes later with a neat finish, Neil Creasey providing the assist.  Despite Didsbury’s dominance of possession and territory they were guilty of conceding several free-kicks around the edge of their area from Celta breaks.  It was a matter of time before Celta punished the indiscipline; a brilliant curled effort over the wall from 20 yards made it 2-1.  Didsbury were reeling and from a corner a flighted cross to the back post allowed the Celta striker the easiest of finishes from two yards.

Seven goals were to come in the second half, Didsbury struck first with Mike Corbett converting a neat interchange down the right to make it 3-2.  Mike Stiff powered a header from a Matt Harrison corner to restore the two goal cushion and Harrison scored his second and Didsburys fifth when he charged down a clearance from the Celta goalkeeper and it looped into the net.

Celta reduced the defecit once again with a neat finish from a flicked-on long ball but Leigh Robins superbly flighted cross from the right forced an own goal.  Paul Trecarichi capitalised on Celta’s hesitancy. Celta pulled a consolation goal back with minutes to spare but seven goals was a fair reflection on a great attacking performance by Didsbury.

Words by David Hargreaves 

AFC Didsbury - Hargreaves, Musson (C), Rogers, Mackie, Bermingham (Jaffray), Stiff, Creasey, Harrison, Wallace (Robins), Corbett, MacHugh (Quaye).

Goals: MacHugh
Assists: Creasey
Man of the Match: Rogers

AFC Didsbury slump to third straight defeat at hands of Parkway Dynamo

Parkway Dynamo produced a resilient comeback to make it three straight defeats for AFC Didsbury in all competitions.

Parkway went into the game having conceded the fewest goals in the league but this looked to change after a curled free-kick was superbly stopped by the Parkway ‘keeper tipping it on to the bar early on from Kieran MacHugh.  MacHugh was to be denied only shortly however as he picked up the ball 25 yards out and after creating space drilled a dipping low shot into the bottom right leaving the ‘keeper trailing.  Didsbury followed the goal with a spell of sustained possession and created further chances but the Parkway defence held firm.

After the initial dominance from Didsbury came the inevitable response from Parkway.  After a number of corners, which had been well dealt with, a partially cleared corner was fed back into the box and the ball rebounded loose to the Parkway forward who was adjudged to have been clipped.  The subsequent penalty was confidently dispatched sending Hargreaves the wrong way and the teams went into the break level at 1-1.

Didsbury have been guilty of conceding from set-pieces this season and the eventual winner, from Parkway, came from a set-piece flighted flat into the box. The Didsbury defence stepped out in an attempt to force their opponents offside, but on this occasion they got it wrong and a controlled volley back across goal made it 2-1.

Didsbury pressed forward in hope of an equaliser but the resilience of the Parkway defence restricted chances to a premium.  Mike Corbett could have bagged an equaliser but the defence again were quick to close him down when put through and chances fell to top-scorer Creasey but again much credit must be given to Parkway’s organisation and defence for closing out the win.

Words by David Hargreaves

AFC Didsbury: Hargreaves, Musson (C), Rogers, Mackie, Bermingham, Quaye (Wallace), Creasey, Stiff (Bainbridge), MacHugh, Harrison, Gillon.

Goals: Creasey, MacHugh
Assists: Musson, Quaye
Man of the Match: Harrison

AFC Didsbury dumped out of the John Old Cup by Woodsend Athletic

AFC Didsbury compounded their first defeat in the league in the previous week, by being dumped out of the John Old Cup in the first round by lower league 4th Division opposition Woodsend Athletic.

Woodsend Athletic went into the game in fine form unbeaten in the league picking up maximum points and scoring 46 goals in their opening 9 games.  The goal threat was obvious in the initial stages, bombing forward using the pacy forwards to stretch the Didsbury defence.  Early pressure culminated in a free-kick from 24 yards out and was superbly placed in-off the bar with Didsbury goalkeeper Hargreaves possibly unsighted by the low sun.

Within 20 minutes Woodsend had doubled their advantage after a counter attack down the left flank, which lead to the Woodsend number nine beating keeper Hargreaves once more, as he found himself with time and space inside the Didsbury box.

The two goal deficit seemed to eventually provoke a fight back from Didsbury and just before the half-time break, neat interplay and a wonderful cross field ball from the left wing allowed Didsbury’s captain, Adam Musson, to make the run from right-back and deliver a pinpoint cross, which Neil Creasey directed into the bottom right; 2-1 at half-time

Didsbury continued to apply pressure in the second half and a direct free-kick, from just outside the box, was sublimely curled into the far left by Kieran MacHugh to grab the equaliser. 

The Didsbury comeback was short-lived however when a cross was only half-cleared and the loose ball drilled back towards goal straight at Hargreaves who contrived to let the ball squirm through his legs and gift Woodsend the win and passage to the next round. 

Words by David Hargreaves