MAINE ROAD 0, CHADDERTON FC 2
Chadderton’s class shone through – they are one division higher in the football pyramid – as they won at Maine Road in the preliminary round of the Manchester Premier Cup.
A first-half goal from left-back Rob Flynn and header from substitute Wisdom Bernard late in the game sealed victory for the Oldham side.
And with more clinical finishing, Chadderton could have won by a wider margin.
Maine Road, to their credit, never gave up and had a couple of decent goal attempts late in the game as they went down fighting.
There was a 10-minute delay to kick off because the goal netting had not been pegged.
Jack Holt had an early chance for Chadderton as his drive from distance narrowly cleared the crossbar.
They made the breakthrough in the 26th minute when Lewis Simon-Byrne played a delightful ball over the home defence and Flynn ghosted forward from the back to find the net with the sweetest of finishes, his second goal of the season as he gave the front players a lesson in finishing.
Holt had a header spectacularly cleared off the line and Matty Barlow dragged a shot wide after weaving his way through of goal as Chadderton ought to have held more than a one-goal advantage at the break.
Simon-Byrne was also wasteful early in the second half blazing over after making an excellent run and seemingly done the hard work.
Chadderton sealed victory in the 69th minute through Bernard who rose at the near post to meet a corner and glanced a header high into the far corner.
Bernard, who has this season graduated from Chadderton reserves, netted his second senior goal and it ought to have been three not long after when he broke free on the left but dragged his shot wide.
Simon-Byrne also broke clear only to be denied by a superb save from home keeper Oliver Brockbank.
Maine Road, to their credit, refused to throw in the towel and their attacking substitutions made an impact as they began to ask questions of the visiting defence in the closing stages.
A fierce drive from substitute Corey Knight was well parried by keeper Morgan Bacon, another replacement Alex Panter shot narrowly wide, and Sam Wrigley brought another important stop from Bacon.