Season 2008 Round Up

A disappointing season for the lads saw us relegated to the Second Division (the first time ever); however, given the quality of football we have been playing in recent games we are hopeful that 2009 will see us much more competitive and pushing for an instant return to the top league.

The last event of the playing season did bring some success with a win at Glossop's 11-a-side Summer Tournament. Whilst the weather certainly played its part the team did exceptionally well to persevere through atrocious conditions eventually beating Cheadle & Gatley on penalites in the final.

Match reports 2007/2008 season

9th March 2008 - Hazel Grove 4 Hollingworth 3
The most important game of the season against fellow league strugglers Hazel Grove saw us throw away a half time lead, leaving us destined for League two next year. Despite going behind early into the game, the lads performed well with Ryan McNee restoring the balance a short time later. Our second goal followed after a quickly taken free kick caught the opposition off guard and Ryan was able to maintain his balance after colliding with the keeper and from a tight angle placed the ball into the net. The second half saw a great link up between our two strikers and Ryan completing his hat-trick. Hazel Grove immediately responded with a excellent strike from just outside the box. Another goal came soon after and it seemed almost inevitable that the opposition would take the lead, which they did a few minutes before the end of the game. Hazel Grove battled hard and never gave up. At 3-1 up, the game was ours to lose and that just about summed up our season. Two games to go against Ladybrige and Great Moor.
Man of the Match - R McNee / Goal Scorer - R McNee (x 3)

2nd March 2008 - Rosehill 4 Hollingworth 1
Following a run of very disappointing results (or perhaps more correctly performances), the lads really impressed today and gave one of the league leaders a difficult game despite the final score. The first half saw both teams battling hard with Rosehill creating several chances. A shot from the edge of the box brought about a great save by Loz with the ball being pushed onto the crossbar and our defence eventually clearing their lines. Repeat attacks were repelled with the defence doing a great job of clearing their lines. Towards the latter part of the half we came more into the game and almost scored when a through ball was missed by the Rosehill keeper and was bound to cross the goal line when it stuck in a puddle inches from the goal!! At the break we were confident of getting something from the game and looked strong for first 10-15 minutes. Injury saw forced substitutions and players moved around with obvious disruptions to the pattern of play. A Rosehill break down the right saw a cross get caught in the wind and travel into the far corner of the net. A second goal followed shortly and the third was inevitable given our present plight. The lads responded well and we pulled back a great goal when Ryan broke through and hit a 25 yard screamer into the top of the net. We continued to pressure the opposition, but gave away a freekick close to the edge of the box. The resulting cross was met well by the Rosehill midfielder who jumped highest and headed the ball into the left hand corner giving Loz no chance (an excellently taken goal). Overall, the result was fair, although we were desperately upset for the lads who worked hard and felt they deserved more given their desire to keep going to the end. Only 3 games to go - each a Cup Final!
Man of the Match - R McNee / Goal Scorer - R McNee

23th February 2008 - High Lane 7 Hollingworth 2
A wet, cold day saw Hollingworth away at High Lane. It seemed the odds were against us from the start when we lost Tom Doyle (one of our central defenders and an outstanding player this season) with a recoccuring back injury only 5 minutes into the game. Having 1 substitute really put the onus on the lads to perform at their best if we were to get anything out of this game. Only a few minutes later, a poorly struck goal kick landed at the feet of the High Lane striker who didn’t need to be asked twice to shoot into the back of the net. A second goal came shortly after and it looked like a 2-0 half-time deficit would take some chasing in the second half, but Tom Burnes had different ideas. After retaining the ball for a short time, Tom spotted the keeper a yard or two of his line and struck a 25 yard curling shot just below the crossbar.

The second half proved difficult. High Lane played good football and were clearly stronger than us Other than the odd short passage of play we were struggling to keep the ball and spent most of the half defending. We conceded another 4 goals (including a disputed penalty), before Danny Riddle found himself alone in the opposition box and looped the keeper. Tired legs and fatigue eventually caught up with us and High Lane went on to score their 7th goal before the final whistle. High Lane are a good, strong side who will challenge for the league next season if they continue to progress as well as they have in recent months.

Whilst the result is disappointing, the guys never gave up and battled to the end. We only have 4 games left and survival in the top league remains our main focus.
Man of the Match - Danny Riddle / Goal Scorers - Tom Burnes & Danny Riddle

17th February 2008 - Hyde Villa v Hollingworth (Lost 6-1)
Given the fantastic playing surface at Alder High School we were hopeful of some good football and a competitive game. The pattern of the match followed our home defeat earlier this year with both sides battling hard for the first 20 minutes. Hyde Villa took the lead from a well taken and executed corner (although the defending left a lot to be desired!). Our reply was swift with a ball over the top that Ryan McNee managed to get on the end of and stab past the oncoming Hyde Villa keeper. Unfortunately, rather than taking the offensive from our quick response we allowed the opposition to easily retain possession and create several opportunities before scoring twice more before the break.

Our play in the second half was disappointing and the gulf between the top of the league and those fighting for survival at the bottom became apparent. Hyde Villa used the large pitch to their advantage and played some excellent football. The final scoreline probably reflects the extent to which we need to improve our performances if we are to secure our place in the top league.
Man of the match - R McNee / Goal Scorer - R McNee