AFC DIDSBURY: Bannister, Blackburn (Plowright), Birtwistle, Reynolds, Garcia, Cook (Kelly), Connolly, Rohman, New, Adcock (Wallace), Quaye.

GOALS: Cook, Quaye, New
ASSISTS: Kelly, Wallace
MAN OF THE MATCH: Rohman

DIDSBURY FIRE TORPEDOES AT THE GROVE

Match report to follow...

​AFC Didsbury accepts no liability for the content of this match report, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. If you are not the intended audience you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited.

AFC DIDSBURY: Quaye (C), Owen (Garcia), Kelly, Birtwistle, Mackie, Gowrie, New, Cowley, Williamson, Rohman, Adcock.

GOALS: Williamson (2), Rohman
ASSISTS: Garcia, Gowrie
MAN OF THE MATCH: Quaye

COMBATIVE DIDSBURY LOSE WITH HEADS HELD HIGH

Nice sunny Sunday morning to play football in Cheadle.

Didsbury faced their second to last match of the season dealing a blow before starting. With no goalkeeper available to defend the net, Ollie Quaye offered himself to defend it.

The matched kicked off with Chris and James playing together in the midfield for first time. That did not stop them to do some really good combinations although none of them were finalising near the opponent´s goal.

None of the two teams was dominating the match, although Quaye had to do a couple of De Gea interventions with his feet to save long range shots.

Given Didsbury was struggling to trespass the defensive line, Chris had a go with a powerful shot from out of the box which the keeper did not even see. 1-0 for the visitants.

The advantage for the visitants did not last too long. Poynton FC drew the match with some lack of concentration from the limes.

The half finished with a flurry of activity as first there was a penalty in favour of the locals that was saved by Quaye but the ref asked for it to be repeated. The locals did not miss the second chance.

Didsbury was forced to make a change on the stroke of half-time when Jonny Owen, who had been struggling with his knee, was replaced by Oscar Garcia.

The second half could not have started better and Didsbury scored a goal on a counter attack after a triangle combination between Gaz New, Garcia and Sham Rohman. Match started from zero once again and the feeling was that Didsbury had fresher legs than the opponents.

It was that time of the match when Didsbury seemed to be playing better than Inter Cheadle, that a long pass between the lime green centrebacks landed to the opposition striker, who did not forgive the visitants mistake.

There were still 20 minutes to play and Didsbury had most of the possession of the ball.

Just a few minutes later, what seemed to be a far distance free kick for a Sunday league match ended up being a screamer from Chris, who put the ball next to the spider web on the top right corner of the goal.

With just a few minutes to play and when the fairest result seemed to be a share of points for both teams, the home side kicked off a corner and scored a goal after a couple of rebounds in the area.

With only 3 minutes left to play, Didsbury did not have time to look for the miracle.  

Words by Oscar Garcia

​AFC Didsbury accepts no liability for the content of this match report, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. If you are not the intended audience you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited.

AFC DIDSBURY: Hield (C), Plowright, Birtwistle, Reynolds, Owen (Garcia), Wallace, Walker, Cook, Rohman, New (Quaye), Adcock (Ferguson).

GOALS: -
ASSISTS: -
MAN OF THE MATCH: Rohman

DIDSBURY CAN'T STOP THE DUKE

Let me start by saying that this wasn’t a game that deserves an after action report.

I think we can all agree that getting a team together for a mid week game is challenging at best of times. Especially when Ferg decides that he is too cool to turn up for kick off.

It was a standard two’s game with periods of playing good football mixed with periods of utter uselessness, and I would stick the Ref in the latter.

Forgetting that as a team we didn’t perform very well, the Ref definitely took the biscuit with some extremely dubious decisions (I should probably thank him for not sending me off for a blatant penalty though). It was a civil game with no real issue yet the ref could not be heard anywhere on the pitch. I think the highlight was when the ref was about to award the opposition a throw in when it was obviously Didsbury’s ball. Lucky, by shouting ‘Don’t you dare ref’ he changed his mind.

The game ended 2-0 to the Duke, but there were some entertaining moments during the game to distract us from the poor home performance:

• Ollie turning up with white socks and no shorts
• Oscar offering up a very Spanish reaction after someone stepped on his foot only to get straight back up and carry on.
• Plowright’s free kick that Jonny Wilkinson would have been proud of.
• Cook's attempt at a quick throw in that flew down the wing but didn’t make it on to the pitch.
• Cook's second attempt that should have been given as a foul throw.

While these events mildly entertained the masses, the incident that won the TFC award had me in stitches. Duke's second goal (scored by a lad who has never scored before, EVER) was a lob from 40 yards out. In most circumstances, the keeper would eat these up. However, between the sticks on this occasion was none other than Mark"The Body"Hield. Clearly off his line, the ball flew over the tallest man on our team’s head. As soon as the penny dropped, Mark turn to me with the biggest grin on his face knowing full well big fines were coming his way. 
​
Words by Dave Reynolds

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AFC DIDSBURY: Carr, Mackie, Birtwistle, Reynolds, Bermingham (Blackburn), Rohman (Garcia), Cook, Gowrie (Owen), Kelly, New, Adcock.

GOALS: Mackie
ASSISTS: Kelly
MAN OF THE MATCH: Carr

DIDSBURY FAIL TO GET INTO THE GROOVE AS THEY TRAVEL TO THE GROVE

On a morning that can only be described as ‘arid’, AFC Didsbury 2nd team travelled south down the A6 for a head to head with FC Torkington, who lay 2 points behind Didsbury boasting an impressive goal difference despite playing a million games less than everyone else. With Torkington having what can only be described as an eager fan club, the 12th man was out and the odds weren’t ever in our favour. However, with 3 Division 3 games kicking off on the same park there was a lot to play for, including the affections of our lovely female referee.

After an even start with neither team getting into any kind of rhythm it was the home side who broke the deadlock with a gifted goal courtesy of the aforementioned ref who decided the ball went over the line and handed the 1-0 regardless of whether they actually thought it went in themselves – or even appealed. That’s Sunday League and that’s 1-0 FC Torkington.

The game continued being messy with the ground similar to Atacama Desert (Google it boys). With the heat getting to everyone there was the constant asking of how long’s left and tempers boiling with Sham Rohman partaking in customary handbags. It all petered out and play continued. With the sun facing Didsbury it was all in all a difficult half but only 1-nil down due to an atrocity ain’t too bad.

No changes at half time saw the game continue in a similar fashion. Bouncy, bobbly and not at all pleasing on the eye.

A few Didsbury corners glimmered a small amount of hope with Dave Reynolds getting on the end of most of them but to no avail. As a result, it was a swift counter attack from one of said corners that dug the hole a little deeper. 2-0 and it’s looking hard work now.

Hard work paid off though and Didsbury found themselves back in the game with a Chris Kelly free kick being spilled into the path of Jonathan Mackie steaming in on the follow up. Cue the first of several ‘injuries’ after several spills by the Torkington keeper, which only appeared to be nothing more than a bruised ego. As one of their players put it - ‘Get up you “silly person”, it’s the same every “flipping” week’.

With Didsbury looking to snatch the equaliser it had the opposite effect and the result was condemned fairly late on with a long ball pelted forward catching an attacking Didsbury on the back foot. 3-1. Game over.

After an unbeaten stretch extending over 6 weeks it’s disappointing to lose a game we could have won. We move on though as the season draws to a close with 3 games to go including top of the table. Bring it on.

​Words by Dave Gowrie

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AFC DIDSBURY: Carr, Plowright (Owen), Birtwistle, Reynolds, Bermingham (Garcia), Wallace (Gowrie),
Rohman (Quaye), English, Quinn, New, Menghini.

GOALS: Menghini
ASSISTS: English
MAN OF THE MATCH: Reynolds

DIDSBURY SHOW THEIR BITE ON A THURSDAY NIGHT

With the days growing longer it was time to for the 2’s to play catch up on the fixture list and aim to build on their recent post-Christmas good form. With the opposition (Inter Cheadle) just 2 points ahead in the table, it was going to be a hard-fought contest, the chance to leap frog them in the table left a lot at stake.

Despite Adam Musson inexcusably setting the Teamer map to the wrong location, all squad members still managed to make it in valuable time for kick off and the squad looked strong for their first mid-week encounter of the season.

With a cool breeze and a level, dry pitch the conditions were perfect for the flowing, passing football that the club strives for. The first half was mostly positive. Didsbury started strong, the central midfield trio of Conor Quinn, Joel English and Jack Wallace managed to control the flow of play and leave the opposition frustrated. The defence were rarely tested early on but when called upon were direct and uncompromising.

Despite the positive play and occasional promising run, the final ball was lacking and the only decent chance of the half fell to the talisman Ross Menghini, who leant back and hit it clean over the bar. His squandered chance being sweetly followed by side line jeers reminding him of his 6-month goal hiatus…………. would this be another day of frustration for the Fernando Torres of yester-year.

The half time opportunity for reflection and planning was unfortunately not put to effective use.  Ollie Quaye was distracted texting Claude Birtwistle’s missus. 2nd team gaffer, Ciaran Bermingham, gave advice only fellow paddy, Quinn, could understand and Matt Kennedy decided to sink morale by reminding Wallace of his 5% pass completion rate. Musson and Colin McDonald tried their best to impart pearls of wisdom, but the team were left looking as dead-faced as if they’d just sat through one of Menghini's team building speeches.

Needless to say, the team came out slow and were on the back foot for the first 10 minutes of the second half, to quicker, hungrier opponents. Pressure mounted as Nathan Carr’s goal kicks were as short and limp as James Leighton’s cock.  Eventually a through ball made its way to the opposition centre forward who managed to miss an open net from 2 yards out………Finally, Didsbury had the wake up call they needed.

Dave Reynolds and Birtwistle stepped up to nail the goal kicks, James Plowright had a rush of adrenaline and picked a fight with a bystander to let them know we meant business and Carr made up for his limp kicks with some big stops and assertive collections. The midfield also started to reassert themselves and the attacking chances for Didsbury started to come once again. Gaz New came close with a dazzling lone run. Menghini again squandered a couple of half chances and just when you were questioning whether we could still get a half decent sum for him in the transfer window......... a loose ball in the final third fell to English, seeing Menghini in space he nodded it through. Despite the demons on his back, Menghini kept a cool head and drilled home from just inside the box. Silencing his critics and now likely to secure an extension to his coveted AFC Didsbury contract.

With a narrow 1 nil lead, the final 20 minutes were always going to be tense. Didsbury held their nerve and looked solid at the back with Reynolds leading by example with a brick wall, man of the match performance. Late on, BIrtwistle's enthusiasm got the better of him in the Didsbury penalty area, as he wrestled the opposition striker down from behind with a limb-shattering assault; hearts sank as we awaited the sound of the referees’ whistle, thankfully the ref must’ve had a mini stroke as he denied seeing anything and the game went on.   

With the final stages upon us, emphasis should have been on dictating a slow pace to the game to kill off the dying minutes, Jonny Owen, however, seemed to have also had a mini stroke and was playing as if we were one nil down, running to chase the ball down as soon as it was out of play and throwing it back in as quick as his nimble legs could manage.

Ultimately the Didsbury resolve was too robust and as the final whistle sounded, the AFC Didsbury massive could relish in a hard fought but ultimately well deserved victory, confident that there was a solid platform to build on to secure a solid mid table finish in their debut season.

Words by Joel English

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AFC DIDSBURY: Carr, Walker, Birtwistle, Reynolds, Garcia, Simpson, Westall, Wallace, Gowrie, New, Quaye.

GOALS: Quaye, Reynolds
ASSISTS: Simpson, Wallace
MAN OF THE MATCH: Reynolds

BARE BONES DIDSBURY SIDE CLAIM A POINT AT POYNTON

Decisions are made by those who show up. The squad across both teams was threadbare enough, presumably Mothering Sunday meant many were paying homage to the women in their lives, understandable, but not helpful. Matters were made worse at 9am by another late withdrawal (ironically the reason many of us are able to celebrate Mother's’ Day). Dave Gowrie stunned the group by announcing he had been called away to ‘work’, rumours involve that he had forgotten it was mother's day, and that he does business in Saudi Arabia(?)
 
Didsbury kicked off with 11 men, and within 3 minutes, good play in midfield set Jack Simpson free down the wing, and, presumably well aware of his usual finishing prowess, Ollie Quaye was left unmarked to slot home. Chances came his way soon after, hitting the bar and then forcing the keeper into a smart save, but he was unable to add to the score.
 
Then disaster struck, William Westall made an uncharacteristic dash to close a defender down, and while he never got there and no contact was made, he left the encounter in a crumpled heap, unable to carry on. To compound matters, Poynton went down the other end and scored straight away. 1-1.
 
At half time the chat was mainly concerned with how Westall had limped off in agony but still managed to walk round the pitch and drive himself home. It was also centered around a big second half in which we would “play the ball high as the sun will blind them” Tika Taka stuff.
 
Simpson began the half auditioning for a role in the NBA, slapping the ball with his hand in the centre circle, and somehow evading a yellow card for it.

Didsbury were still creating chances, Jack Wallace forced a good stop from the keeper, Dave Reynolds was a constant threat from corners and Simpson's toe punt whistled inches wide of the post.

We went a goal down when a brief lack of concentration led to a close range effort, but the game was set for a frantic finish.

More chances were created, but the toll of playing with 10 men was beginning to show, with Reynolds and then Quaye limping around like women. We won a corner from Wallace’s shot, and Reynolds decided it was the best time to limp from his own box to the other, with fellow limper Quaye advising against it. Reynolds ignored him, and once the ball came to him in the box, he knew that if he didn't score he would be forced to limp back and defend, so he took the former option and lashed the equaliser into to top of the net.
​
We had one more chance but couldn't grab the winner, in the end a good point and performance.

Words by Ollie Quaye.

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AFC DIDSBURY: Carr, Plowright, Hield, Hadfield, Bermingham, Simpson (Quaye), Mackie (Westall), Gowrie, Wallace, Adcock, Smith.

GOALS: Smith
ASSISTS: Plowright
MAN OF THE MATCH: Carr

STALEMATE BETWEEN STOCKPORT AND DIDSBURY

Weather – Shite
Pitch – Shite
Ref - ……..
Editors comments – the opinions in this report are solely those of the authors and not those of Didsbury Football Club. Facts may have been exaggerated/changed/completely ignored.
 
With both teams making a slow start and trying to keep the ball out of the middle of the park (being what can only be described as a Quagmire…gigidy) it was Stockport looking the more threatening out of the two sides. Struggling to find their way into the game Didsbury found themselves 0-1 down following a lost ball in midfield, a ball down the wing and a cut back, which eventually found its way into the back of the net despite a valiant double save from Nathan (The Cat) Carr.

The quality of the game didn’t improve much, however, Didsbury did start finding some joy with Kieran Smith starting to create some chances upfront. Eventually Jack Adcock managed to skilfully play a tactical ball off of the Stockport centre back's right leg, angling it perfectly to fall into the path of Mr Smith to nonchalantly stroke the ball past the flailing Stockport keepers out stretched arms. 1-1.

Didsbury continued to apply the pressure following their goal and after Stockport’s keeper tried to dribble the ball out of his area Jack Wallace pinched the ball and lobbed it goalwards…..Surely the ball crossed the line. Absolutely not stated the referee, using his hawkeye vision from Didsbury's 18 yard line (a feat he repeated throughout the game). HT 1-1.
 
Not much to report in the second half other than:-

1.Ollie Quaye added an attacking threat for Didsbury
2.Multiple long range offside decisions from the ref who refused to move outside his sphere of comfort (the centre circle)
3.A bullet shot from Jonathan Mackie from 30 yards again surely crossing the line
4.A finger up the bottom of the oppositions’ striker
5.Multiple ‘worldy’ saves from a boy turned man, Nathan Carr (MOM)

Onto next week, unlucky not to get the ‘W’ but a better performance is definitely needed. 

Words by Mark Hield

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AFC DIDSBURY: Carr, Plowright, Mackie, Reynolds, Bermingham (C) (Garcia), Simpson, Gowrie,
Cook (Adcock), English, Kelly (Westall), Smith.

GOALS: Simpson (2), Adcock
ASSISTS: Kelly (2), English
MAN OF THE MATCH: Simpson

JACKS TAKE DOWN THE JUNIORS

Didsbury rocked up on a glorious Sunday morning expecting a tough encounter from a team in second placed in the league. They weren’t disappointed.
 
The enemy set their stall out early, purposefully putting their bags down right in the middle of Bermo’s conned warm up area, to which when asked to move reminded Bermo that we live in a free country and they can put their bags where they like. Needless to say the true Didsbury waring spirit was shown and the cones were hastily collected and moved to another part of the pitch. GAME ON.
 
The actual game started fairly evenly with each team trying to work out each other’s weaknesses. Didsbury maintained their usual passing style and were soon passing rings around the opposition and at every opportunity getting it wide to Jack Simpson and Joel English, who were tearing their full backs to shreds, so much so one was subbed after 10 minutes never to be seen again.
 
This pattern of play continued with English time and time again putting dangerous crosses into the box for his teammates only for them to miss some easy chances. This was until a ball found its way to the back post, after a couple of shots were blocked, last one from Chris Kelly (counts as an assist), for Simpson to rifle the ball into the empty net. 1-0.
 
Not long after (and a few more missed chances, including Simpson hitting the bar when it was easier to score in the open net) another delightful English cross found Simpson tearing in at the back post to make it 2-0 with a delightful side foot volley.
 
Half time came and went with a rousing half time speech from the oppositions manager clearly explaining that his team need to win every game to win the league, or else.
 
Didsbury took their foot of the gas second half, thinking they had the game won, which gave the opposition the incentive to attack. They got their rewards with a deflected goal that left Nathan Carr no chance in net, 2-1 after a cross from Dave Reynolds into his own box.
 
Attack, attack, attack were the cries from the oppositions manager as his team sought the equaliser and his calls were answered after a dubious decision from the referee. Claiming English had cleared the ball from behind the line, when this clearly wasn’t the case, all square.
 
With the game hanging in the balance the opposition sent a long ball over the top for their ‘striker’, he beat Carr to the ball with his head but Jonathan Mackie got round to perform an very unnecessary overhead to stop the ball going in. Not his first bit of unnecessary skill of the day when in the first half, as a the balls flies over his head, he casually sticks his leg out behind him and controls the ball back perfectly to Carr's welcoming arms.
 
With 10 minutes to go James Plowright took it upon himself to show how hard he is, he rather absurdly hit, with an open hand – Haye Vs Bellew-Esque, their ‘striker’, who makes his living as a bouncer. The bouncer retaliated with a head butt only for the ref to inexplicably miss this too and say “They just rubbed faces”.
 
With 5 minutes left of the clock the other Jack, no not Wallace, Adocock, was first to react from a quick throw to curl the ball into the bottom corner from 30 yards. Didsbury held on to secure a hard fought win.

Words by Jonathan Mackie

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AFC DIDSBURY: Carr, Simpson, Hield (C), Reynolds, Bermingham (Garcia), Higginson, Birtwistle, Kelly,
Rohman (Blackburn), Connolly (New), Adcock (Quaye).

GOALS: Kelly, Connolly, Reynolds, Higginson, Quaye
ASSISTS: Adcock, Higginson, Kelly, Quaye, New
MAN OF THE MATCH: Kelly

REVENGE IS A DISH BEST SERVED LUKEWARM AND A LITTLE DAMP

A number of us still had a sour taste in our mouths from losing away to Offerton two weeks earlier. It could be argued that part of the reason for the defeat was the performance of the referee, but regardless, there was a score to settle. So after clarifying with the ref that he understood the off-side rule, the rematch was on.

In classic 2s fashion, it took a while to get going. With the centre backs making a number of early mistakes, and Offerton fielding a better attacking force then the previous match, it wasn’t long before the visitors went a goal up.

After giving ourselves a kick up the arse, we gained control of the game and started to put pressure on the opposition. The first big push came from Jack Adcock winning a free kick just outside the box. With Chris Kelly standing over the ball, the 3 big men from defence made their way forward, only to turn around and jog straight back as Kelly put the ball into the back of the net from a wonder strike.

1-1, game on.

The free-kick seemed to shock the visitors as AFCD controlled the next phase of play quite comfortably, leading to a fantastic team goal. With some lovely link up play down the left between Ciaran Bermingham, Rob Higginson and Jack Adcock. Higginson managed to play a lovely ball across goal that was put away beautifully by Dan Connolly.

Not long after our second goal, we were attacking again, this time with a corner. Enter the big men. After regaining our breath from the long jog from defence, we formulated our plan and went crashing through Offertons defence. With what is becoming my trade mark move; Dave Reynolds salmon dived between defenders to slot home a text book diving header.

With a lead of 3-1 we started enjoying the game, feeling more and more confident, even with Offerton smashing the bar.

As the game went on, Adcock made way for Ollie Quaye upfront. It was clear Quaye wanted to make an impression. Setting up Higginson for his first goal for Didsbury and then slotting home from an assist from Gaz New, he was giving his all, but he still wasn’t satisfied. 

Midway through the 2nd half, after a great ball through, Quaye had one defender to beat. I don’t know if it was the red mist that came over him, but rather than getting his shot off, he decided to try and break the defender in two with an outrageous McGregoresk volley to the midsection. Having not heard a whistle blow, Quaye calmly slots the ball passed the keeper, only to have the goal disallowed after the ref got over the shock of what just happened.

Offerton did score another at some point but I can’t remember when, or care for that matter.

Winning 5-2, with 2 disallowed goals (Claude Birtwistle is still pissed at Nick Blackburn for being offside and stealing his chance at scoring in the correct goal), some amateur MMA, and a brief moment of decent play from Jonny Owen, made for an entertaining Sunday down at Hough End.

Great game AFC Didsbury 2. Fully deserved. Lets build on that performance and get back to winning ways.

Words by Dave Reynolds

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AFC DIDSBURY: Bannister, Plowright (Owen), Birtwistle, Reynolds, Bermingham (C), Westall (Blackburn), Cook, Higginson, Simpson, Rohman, Adcock.

GOALS: -
ASSISTS: -
MAN OF THE MATCH: Birtwistle

DIDSBURY OFFER NOTHING AT OFFERTON

As half of the match day squad walked towards the pitch in a scene not out of place in Dawn of the Dead, the previous day's session in the pub seemed like a bad idea.

Despite this, Didsbury started the game brightly and were rarely troubled by an opposition who'd managed to anger the referee pre-match by locking him in the changing room, things were looking on the up.

Forming a defensive wall Donald Trump would have been proud of, the 2's limited Offerton Park Reserves to very few chances in the first half, but unfortunately could not make their superior possession count and only managed to register a couple of shots on target.

Then, a cross into the box was met by Sham Rohman, directed goalwards and landed in the empty net... 1-0 to the away team!!! No?? Ruled out for offside despite the hosts having at least one man on the line, one of at least 20 baffling decisions from the referee that day regarding the offside rule, still raging and maybe a tad confused having been detained in the changing room pre-game.

The rest of the half was stop start with the referee taking centre stage, and the half time whistle blew, 0-0.

A change of formation to pack the midfield was the decision of 2's manager and the second half kicked off, with the intention of testing the opposition 'keeper more than Didsbury had managed in the first 45.

It worked, a few long rangers, one following a mazy run from inside his own half by James Plowright did test the opposition number 1, but it remained goalless.

Defender, Dave Reynolds, the most hungover of the Didsbury XI did rise highest from a corner to almost give the visitors something to celebrate, but it was cleared on the line.

Then, disaster.  A blatant dive on the edge of the Didsbury area (an admission from the opposition striker followed) resulted in a free kick that was hammered home by Offerton Park defender, despite 'keeper Thom Bannister getting a hand to it.

1-0. Undeserved.

Regroup and we go again was the cry.

Fast forward 60 seconds.

Disaster struck again.  Close control from the oppositions Eden Hazard wannabe took him around 3, 4, 5 players, and poked it into the Didsbury net, 2-0.

Full time whistle, 2-0. Harsh on Didsbury who started well but just couldn't get the first goal their dominance deserved.

Words by James Cook

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