With the title confirmed three days before due to Nelson failing to win and Flixton getting beat FC made their second visit of the season to Boundry Park to take on Chadderton.
A changed line up to last weeks game at home to Chadderton turned out including debutants Michael O'Neill and Warren Collier, also Joz Mitten made an apperance as a centre back!
FC running out as champions for the first time started in a relaxed manner and it looked as though Chadderton were out to prove a point after their 4-0 reverse last wednesday. They made their breakthrough on 15 minutes when a freekick joust outside the area was hammered hard and low round the wall and into George's bottom left corner by Billington. He celebrated by removing his shirt only th reveal a city t-shirt underneath, which he was duly booked for wearing :-). A number of half chances came the way of Leon Mike through the rest of the half but non of real note. 5 minutes before the interval and the champions were level, a stunning strike from the right wing by Daz Lyons dipped before crashing of the cross bar, it fell to Orr who managed to nod back across for Mike O'Neill who had an easy tap in to get a goal on his debut. 1-1 at half time, but the second half saw Chadderton not willing to give in, and on 46 minutes Ashton had restored their lead to make it 2-1 From then on it was like a one man mission by Adie Orr to get the sides level again. His workrate and skill running at Chadderton's defence was amazing. He got his reward on 65 minutes when he broke into the box only to be nudged over Chadderton defender Wilde, who was quite harshly shown a straight red putting Chadderton down to 10 men. Daz Lyons got the chance to level affairs from the spot and did so cooly and calmly as he slotted into the keepers right before saluting the Red Army behind the goal. From then on it was only a matter of time before FC took the lead as the Chadderton defence had no answer to Orr's speed and trickery. On 72 minutes a great four man move ending up with Orr taking on a defender and then slotting in from close range made it 3-2 and capped off a great performance by him. 3-2 the final score and a great game to watch with a few of the FC squad players getting a game in. Chadderton made a real fight of it and were unlucky to go down to 10, they may well have got a point or more otherwise. FC will now look to the final home game of the season at Gigg Lane where they will pick up their first piece of silver wear in their short history, the North West Counties Divison 2 trophy! :-) CHAMPIONIES, CHAMPIONIES!!
2 Tony Cullen
3 Warren Collier
4 Will Ahern
5 Billy McCartney
6 Mike O'Neill
7 Daz Lyons
8 Chris Simms
9 Joz Mitten
10 Leon Mike
11 Adie Orr
Subs Used
12 Josh Howard
13 Dave Chadwick
14 Phil Power
Attendance 2352
Scorers
O'Neill 40, Lyons 65, Orr 72