Reserves League Round-Up This Week

Gay Meadow

Shrewsbury kept their faint title hopes alive on Monday with a narrow 2-1 win over Rochdale at Gay Meadow. The Shrews had to do it the hard way though as they came from 1-0 behind to grab all three points. Ben Wharton had fired 'Dale into the lead in the 18th minute from close-range after Clive Moyo-Modise had seen his shot saved by Town keeper Glyn Thompson. The home side came roaring out after the break though with quickfire goals from Marco Adaggio and Richard Evans securing the win for Shrews against a 'Dale side who were reduced to ten men late on when Callum Warburton was sent off for stamping on Town's Chris Morris.

Neither Wrexham nor Tranmere did themselves any favours on Monday, a tepid 0-0 draw leaving the Red Dragons bottom of the table while only one point gained kills off any lingering title hopes for Rovers. There were few chances in the match, although central midfielder Dale Whitehead, who played the full 90 minutes for Tranmere on trial from Bolton Wanderers, put in an impressive performance in the engine room.

Burnley were scheduled to play Chester on Tuesday night at Accrington's Interlink Express Stadium but the match was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch after the terrible weather earlier in the day. The cancellation of the game leaves the Clarets needing to play two games a week for the next fortnight in order to fulfil their second-string fixtures for the season.

Rochdale bounced back from defeat on Monday with an excellent 3-0 victory over Blackpool on Wednesday night, the game being played at Dark Lane, the home of Rossendale United, in dreadful conditions. On a horrible wet and windy evening 'Dale took the lead after just eight minutes, Scott Warner's shot pinging off the back of hapless 'Pool defender Dane Matthews to leave Seasiders keeper Kyle Clancy with no chance. Early in the second-half the home side went 2-0 up when Blair Sturrock finished well after stealing the ball from Blackpool's trialist left-back Craig Cushion. The misery was completed for the Seasiders late on, 'Dale youngster Theo Colman scoring with an excellent individual effort to seal the win for the home side.

Bury are flying at the moment in the reserves league although they may just have left their charge for the title too late, table-toppers Carlisle United needing only one win from their last two home games to take the crown. The Gigg Lane outfit kept up the pressure on the Cumbrians though with a hard-fought 1-0 win away to second-bottom Chester City this afternoon. Matthew Tipton scored the only goal of the game for Bury in the first-half to leave the Shakers just four points behind Carlisle in the table.



Results in the division this week :

Shrewsbury 2-1 Rochdale (Monday)
Wrexham 0-0 Tranmere (Monday)

Burnley P-P Chester (Tuesday, waterlogged pitch)

Rochdale 3-0 Blackpool (Wednesday)

Chester 0-1 Bury (Thursday)



Fixtures in the division next week (all Wednesday) :

Burnley v Tranmere, 7pm
Bury v Preston, 7pm
Carlisle v Blackpool, 7pm
Rochdale v Chester, 2pm
Wrexham v Shrewsbury, 7pm


Updated Reserve Team Table : Click here


United's Reserve Team Results : Click here