Things have been going well for County Ressies. Really well. And since that first friendly at Breightmet United back in July, we’ve remained unbeaten – but that was going to endure a real test today. Because it was the Lancs Amateur FA Cup Round 2 day – and we had been drawn to go over to take on Rochdalians AFC at Springhill Playing Fields in Rochdale. All we knew was that these ply their trade in the Premier Division of the Cheshire and Lancashire League and they had knocked out Little Lever 1st team in the 1st round. But so what? When have we cared about the oppostion so far? They need to worry about us and as we began arriving for this one, the mood was definitely a good one. Last weekend had seen us play 45 minutes with the brakes on and then a second-half that was more like what we’ve come to know from these lads. So could we do that again? We’d soon see…

Plans were best-laid – as always – but they changed last minute when we found out that Liam Hulme had been called into the first team for their clash against current champions Hindsford. Put that next to Ricky’s rib injury suffered in training in midweek, skipper Matty, Yatesy and Nathan being away and Josh pulling out due to a ticket to Bolton game or some lame reason – and you could see that we were pretty thin on the ground. But there was still quality all around that dressing-room as the lads got changed and as Callum took them out for their warm-up’s, the atmosphere was starting to build. It felt as though we were very much the underdogs here and that’s something we seem to thrive upon. We stretched and warmed the legs up and as we came back in, now it was down to business…

We were sticking with our now-usual 4-2-3-1 and this week Chris was back between the sticks. He was rightly disappointed last weekend so now was his chance to make sure it never happens again. The full-backs to start were going to be Rav and Aaron and partnering Gatesie was the returning Robbie Holt in the heart of the back four. Alex was skipper in Matty’s absence and he joined Liam sat just in front of the defence and the attacking three today saw Callum and Robbo keep their places but it was great to see Robbie Smith back in the fold after his time well-spent in the 1st team. He slotted in on the left and that meant that we were going with Lewis up top on his own. There were three on the bench today – Ben, Bradders and the very last-minute call-up of Callum Keegan – and as they pulled their boot-laces in and made their final preparations, Wayne and Cal set about their instructions. Pass the ball in little triangles and make sure that they had to work hard for anything. Don’t simply pump it high in the air and expect Lewis to get it with their centre-halves being over 6 feet tall and use our footballing brains. Sure – there was going to be a hostile environment out there as Bolton were in Rochdale – but we had to forget everything else apart from the football, get the job done and get home. That was all we needed to do. Now go and do it! The lads pumped each other up and we were out there ready for the action to begin…

And as the game began, it was the home side that were quickly out of the traps and with the County boys looking asleep still, the team in red were snap at it. Their full-backs were overlapping their wingers and for some reason, we were slow to react to it. They forced a good ball into their No.10 with 4 minutes gone and clean through, he looked to have slammed his shot home – only to see Pomf narrow the angle just enough to put him off and he could only shoot wide. An early sign of things to come? We couldn’t let them through that easy again…

Another chance came and went for the hosts as they were surging forward and this time they shot wide of the mark when it looked easier to score. Pomf again made a good save when he pushed a great shot wide of the mark but on 7 minutes, they pressure paid off – and they eventually took the lead. It had been coming in truth but still wasn’t easy to take. A good ball inside our left saw them race down the flank and as the ball came into the middle, there was their striker with plenty of time to pick his spot – and this time he didn’t miss, arrowing his shot past our No.1 and into the back of our net. We hadn’t even started yet and we already found ourselves behind. But the coaches were calm and they just remained their troops that there was plenty of time to put this right. 0-1…

Rather than curl up in a ball and hide, we started to see a bit of the ball and when Robbo, Alex and Liam started playing their little, quick passes, the home side had more to think about. And on 12 minutes we were level – if somewhat fortuitously – and it was our Lewis’ first goal in Bolton County blue. The ball was knocked over the top of their defence and as Lewis sprinted away from their centre-half, they were screaming for offside – but the referee didn’t whistle and our striker hit his shot high towards goal. Their keeper seemed to gather it easily – but then dropped it and as the ball bounced, it looked to all of us that it had gone over the line. Obviously the home contingent didn’t agree – but thankfully for us the referee did and as he pointed to the centre-spot, we were back on level terms. 1-1 and it was all to play for again…

We started to put our foot on the ball now and when we did that, we were picking out some good running out wide. One such move saw us feed Callum down our right and as Robbo joined him in pressing their defenders, they could only pass it back to their keeper – who dragged it into his box and picked it up. The County players yelled – and the referee duly issued a yellow card to their No.1. The resulting free-kick was sprayed far too wide of any blue-shirted runs and the chance was gone – but at least we were in their half a bit more now…

Callum Keegan came on in a move that saw Rav move across to left-back and Aaron come off for a rest – and then came the moment that probably changed the game – but we don’t believe the referee was left with any choice. Gatesie had won the ball in a good challenge about 30 yards from our goal and as he strolled forward with his head up looking for the pass, across came two Rochdalians players to swipe him out with a nasty challenge right on his knee – and the man in black had no hesitation in pulling the red card out of his pocket and reducing the hosts to 10 men. Surely that meant we could have the time and space to damage them now? Only time would tell..

Being a man down didn’t stop the hosts pressing us back though and Pomf was forced into making another stop at point-blank when a good ball into the middle saw their No.10 the wrong side of our defence – but his shot was stopped by the strong wrists of our No.1 and the scores were still level. We had to start making this numerical advantage count soon though…

Lewis had another good chance just before the half-time break when some neat footwork from Robbo saw him knock it back to Alex who in turn picked out a glorious ball into the path of our Lew – but he could only put his shot tamely into their keeper’s arm and the chance was gone. We were getting on top now though…

That was that though for the first half and as the referee blew for the break, the home supporters were busy chunnering about the red-card decision as the referee and County went back to the changing-rooms. The natives weren’t happy – but we still had a job to do here…

Half-time: Rochdalians AFC 1-1 BOLTON COUNTY RESERVES

The break gave Wayne and Callum the chance to regroup and refocus their players – as when we did what we had asked of them, we were looking more likely. But there were times that we were getting pulled out of shape and that upset us from top to back – so keep our shape, keep passing the ball in small triangles and do not give them any opportunity to try and get one of us sent off. This was going to be about game management now and if we could replicate the second-half last weekend, we should run them close here. The lads gulped their drinks and before we knew it, we were back out there ready to go again…

The second-half started as the first had ended with both sides snapping into the challenges and our young lads not being overawed by the fact that they were playing a team of grown men. We had seemingly listened to the coaches and with Alex and Liam now orchestrating things from the middle of the park, we started to take control of the game. And that was reinforced when on 49 minutes, we took the lead – and what a strike it was! We had gained possession of the ball on our left and as we surged up the pitch, Rav played a simple little 5-yard pass inside to Liam. That’s all Wayne and Callum were demanding – keep hold of the ball – so it was pleasing to see. What was even more pleasing was what Liam did with it next as he tapped it out from under his feet and from fully 30 yards, he let crack with a glorious shot that looked in from the moment it left his boot. The ball flew through the air, evaded their keeper and slammed against the underside of the bar before bouncing over the line – and despite their protestations that it hadn’t gone in, the ball nestled in the back of the net eventually. A stunning shot and more proof that we really needed to test this keeper. 2-1 to County and we now had to keep going and put this game to bed…

Rochdalians didn’t give up though and to their credit, they kept searching for a way back into this. That said, their No.2 was constantly moaning about decisions and claiming that our assistant referee was ‘cheating’ – to which the match official duly dished out a yellow card – and if he had concentrated on his football rather than our bench, he may well have helped his side back into this. But their task was made even harder on 63 minutes when we grabbed our third – and hopefully decisive – goal of the game. Liam had once worked connected well with Alex and Robbo in the central area and once again listening the instructions given by the coaches, he slid a great ball through the channel for Lewis to run onto. Wayne was stood there knowing that if he got to it before their keeper, we were scoring here – and he did just that. He nipped in and played the ball one-way around their No.1 before darting the other way and with his less-favoured right foot, he planted his shot into the bottom corner of their net. Surely that was that! 3-1 and we were looking dangerous every time we went forward now…

But again the hosts came back at us – and they came back with a vengeance. We brought Callum Chadwick off to be replaced by Brad but the game seemed to swing into the home side’s favour now and as they tried their best to get back into it, we needed to defend with our lives to get through this. Again Pomf made a smart save when he beat away a shot destined for the back of our net and they were guilty of missing a glorious chance when their No.8 had been played through and for one of the rare times this afternoon, he managed to get past Gatesie and Robbie – only to slam his shot high and wide of the mark. We were living a dangerous life here – but isn’t that what Cup Football is all about?

Looking to shore things up a bit, we then made more changes by bringing Robbo off and sticking Ben in to make a three in the middle and Aaron came back on in place of Rav – but still the home side came at us. Another good move saw them win a corner over on the left and as it was swung in, Alex, Gatesie and Robbie jumped to challenge three of their players desperate to turn it goal-wards and as had happened for most of this match, it was the lads in blue that came up trumps. Then we thought that we’d seen Ben’s 3rd goal of the season when a superb ball saw him clean through – but he didn’t anticipate it quickly enough and nearly fell over as he could only put his shot into the arms of their keeper. But the remainder of the match saw the team in red pouring forward and as the game ticked into time-added on, they did manage to score – a spawny goal – when another ball was lumped into the box and as they hit it towards goal, it seemed to bounce off Pomf, Robbie and probably another two players at least before ending up in the back of our net. No way! After all of the stalwart defending we’d done this afternoon, they manage to sneak a goal like that. 2-3 and would there still be a twist in the tale?

Wayne and Callum urged their players to keep the ball from the restart as we couldn’t afford to let them have it back – so when the referee looked at his watch and pulled his whistle to his lips, everybody connected with County was willing him to blow it and end the game – but there was still enough time for their No.2 to have another whinge and a moan about how we were going to be ‘thrashed’ in the next round. We didn’t care – at least we’d be in it! And then it came. We’d done it! Against the odds, we had travelled over to a Premier Division 1st team’s home and were leaving with our name in the hat for the 3rd round draw. Fantastic! As we went to shake their hands, to his credit the No.2 shook them – but their No.10 had been so frustrated with Robbie and Gatesie having him in their pockets all afternoon that he just couldn’t bring himself to lift his hand. Sour grapes some may say. But we didn’t care and as the lads celebrated as though they’d won the cup in the changing room, it was another fabulous afternoon for County’s reserves. The video proves that! The coaches were over the moon with their charges and quite rightly joined in the celebrations as this had been an almighty effort from all of us today.

Top marks to the Rochdalians backroom staff and organisers for welcoming us so warmly and we hope we left the changing rooms to your liking. You’ve a good side there and if that red card hadn’t have happened, this could have been a very different outcome. But it did. And we won. So who you reckon we’ll be drawn against in Round 3? A little trip to the Lake District? Or another tie closer to home? We’ll take anybody as we’re enjoying this…

Next week sees us back in league action as we welcome bottom of the table Heywood St James to Radcliffe Road and if we can show the e grit and determination as we did for 90 minutes here, then surely we’ll be celebrating again…

Bolton County Reserves. Loving life so far in 2022-2023!

#UpTheCounty!