Hooley had won a previous cup clash against their Manchester visitors, but the game was ruled null and void because of problems with the number of subs named by Hooley.

However, it was a complete case of roles reversal as Irlam inflicted a 5-1 battering on Hooley at Heywood Leisure Centre.

Keeper Mikey Grogan found he could barely clear the ball past half-way such was the force of the wind and Irlam exploited their pace down the flanks to make life difficult out wide.

Jon Lumb and Anthony Nicholls coped well in the centre of defence but the flanks were where the better ground was and Irlam were strong here.

They went in 2-0 down and although Hooley were looking to get back in the game, their first-half exertions took their toll and they only had a Gareth Maher goal to show for their efforts.

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They found visitors Cheadle Hulme Villa too strong and too committed in atrocious conditions that included a howling wind and some shocking hail.

Hooley were without their star striker Ashford Blake – who didn’t turn up – and they lacked his pace and menace in the left wing-forward position and they far too often struggled to offer an attacking threat.

Hooley’s problems came out wide, where they have been exposed too often in recent times.

They went down 2-0 early on and only sporadically offered an attacking threat. However, there was no doubting they scored the goal of the game when Martyn Bennett broke down the right, outpaced the Villa defence and calmly chipped a sublime finish over the visiting keeper.

But in a game that was always on a short fuse – there were a couple of angry scuffles and a minor head-butt from the visiting keeper that could have seen a visiting player dismissed – Hooley couldn’t cope with Villa’s power and they went on to win by what was not really a flattering margin.

The result leaves Hooley sitting third bottom and being dragged into the relegation zone.

Click here for the Lancashire and Cheshire League website.

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