Fitton Hill dark horses for title

CLOSE ENCOUNTER: Gareth Armstead, of Fitton Hill, shields the ball from a Royton FC opponent.

Royton FC, 1 Fitton Hill 3
THIS might only be Fitton Hill’s first win of the season — a comfortable defeat of Royton FC at Clayton playing fields — but Pete Ashton’s side could well be in the end-of-season mix in the D & J Builders (North West) Ltd Oldham Sunday League Jack Abbott Premier Division.

With four key players missing against Royton, and in the previous three winless games, through injury and work commitments, this was a Fitton Hill side with an exceptionally strong backbone and one which must right now be considered as dark horses for honours come next Spring.

Goalkeeper Ricky Diveney, who had a welter of high balls to deal with in the opening 40 minutes as Royton applied a degree of pressure, showed a very safe pair of hands.

In the centre of midfield, the impressive Ian Knapman displayed an array of passing skills that marked him out as a fine talent, while up front, Gareth Armstead’s electrifying pace and lightning quick mind secured for him the space to get on the end of Knapman’s passes time after time.

And it was Armstead who gave Fitton Hill the lead after 16 minutes when an astute Knapman delivery saw the diminutive striker rifle home a superb angled volley.

Royton were at their best in the opening period, with the competence of centre-back Christian Fraser restricting Fitton Hill to just that one strike. Fitton Hill were forced into a change at the break, with Michael Hickman replacing the injured Paul Kavanagh.

And less than two minutes into that second period, Hickman doubled his side’s advantage when he was the first to react to a loose ball inside the Royton six-yard box.

Fraser’s headed goal from a flag-kick with just under 20 minutes remaining should have acted as a springboard for Gary Townhill’s side to press for an equaliser, but Fitton Hill swiftly responded with a third goal when Paul Badby’s 22-yard strike flew in like an arrow.

Fitton Hill manager Ashton said: “I thought we deserved it in the end and it was a good result, but I will feel better when the likes of Darren Scanlan, John Akaly, Daniel Hitchins and Nigel Bardsley are available again.”