A big 8-1 win for Club AZ against Old Alts A saw them consolidate their place at the top of the East Cheshire League table, three points ahead of FC Flyers, who do have three games in hand.
Dale Peters gave the visitors the lead but injury forced Manager Simon Sidderley’s hand as he was pressed into action himself despite illness. But Club AZ are no charity and they took full advantage. Jon Blackburn equalised and Jamie Collins and Lee Anderson gave them a two-goal advantage by half-time. It was more of the same in the second half as Blackburn scored three more and Gareth Gibbons scored two.
An amazing game at Bollington Rec saw the Andy Markham-inspired Flyers beat Poynton Nomads 5-4, while the now regular hat-trick came from the prolific Scott McGowan.
It was 2-2 at half-time with Tom Gaskell and Marc Toomey on target for Nomads, Toomey finding the net with a spectacular bicycle kick. An own goal by substitute Chris Bremner put Nomads further behind before they thought their luck had changed when Jack Gaskell saved McGowan’s penalty but the speedy striker was first to the rebound to make it 4-2.
Stuart Maylet made it five to the visitors before Nomads began a mini-revival with the introduction of Anthony Mape and Jake Hodge upfront. Tom Gaskell made it 5-3 before Mape curledin a free kick to make it 5-4.
Cheadle Hulme kept up the pressure on the top two as they beat Old Alts East 4-1 at Davenport School. Goals from Rob Jones and Scott Bradley put the home side 2-0 up but midway through the second half 47-year-old Norman Crowther made it a birthday to remember as he scrambled the ball home from a long throw to make it 2-1.
Two late goals, including a brave header from Adam Burke and one from Jon O’Brien, secured the points but there was to be no dampening the spirits of the visitors who , despite defeat were celebrating the good fortune of Crowther, their longest-serving player.
Poynton Kings go fourth after coming from two down to beat High Lane 3-2 at Woodford Rec.
Adam Jarrad and Dave Wilde put the visitors two up but Ali Breed pulled a goal back before half-time. Tom Darcy equalised just after the break and Breed wrapped up the points with his second from close range.
A change of manager has done Mary Dendy the world of good. While Paul Cronshaw still runs team affairs, Macc Lad Muttley O’Neill has returned to pull the strings on match days and has chalked up three wins and one defeat so far.
A 6-2 victory against fellow strugglers Poynton Village was no more than they deserved after a dominant second half but it could have been different had Poynton taken two good chances in the opening minutes.
Ironically their opening goal came on the break after a Dendy corner, new signing Leo Faulkner neatly sidefooting home from the edge of the area after a swift counter.
Dendy then scored twice through Matty Morris, who fired home from Gareth Worrall’s free kick, and Martin Brunker.
Ten minutes before half-time Poynton Village were back in it, Paul Stewart heading home a corner at the near post.
The second half then belonged to Dendy, with Steve Rawlings controlling midfield and substitute Adam Taylor drawing the defenders wide, allowing Brunker to run straight through the middle. Brunker then scored twice in three minutes and added a fourth with 11 minutes to go.
Matty Morris netted his second to round off their biggest win of the season.
