Report:  4 more games in 8 days - and including 3 of the hardest games you could choose when you are running out of players and players are out on their feet.  However, the Diggle squad is made of stern stuff and the players have conducted themselves magnificently, even if the middle result v the Anti-Footballers of Lepton was a huge let down.

First up was the long trip to Cumberworth to play on an end of season dustbowl.  Cumberworth look a well organised club and must take the plaudits for the Best Warm Ups We've Seen This Season Award.  If there was a Celebrity-Come-Warm-Up Tv programme the tough lads of Cumberworth should enter it.

The game itself was - in honesty - very hard on the eye: a scrappy, niggly, affair.  Diggle started furiously and had Cumberworth very much on the back foot. Diggle grabbed an early lead from Jeff Whittaker, slamming home from close range after a corner.  15 minutes in, and Diggle looked in complete control, cutting swathes through the Cumberworth defence, which continued to overplay in bad areas - or, more exactly, overplay relative to the ability of the players, with the exception of their Peter Crouch meets Gareth Southgate number 4, who has impressed the Diggle management in both Diggle v Cumberworth games this season.

As the half wore on, Diggle's midfield dropped deeper and deeper and became less and less effective, consequently starving Messrs Chew and Whittaker of the ball up front.  This encouraged Cumberworth who began to enjoy some possession and territorial control.  However, 'Worth had to wait until the 40th minute to equalise - a lob from 35 yards over Diggle keeper Gaz McWatt.  Gaz's new DVD '101 great lobbed goals' is available now in all good shops (and some rubbish ones as well, as they say on Soccer AM).

A half time bollocking from the Diggle Manager proved pointless as about 5 players clearly had minds elsewhere, and were not on their game.  Diggle got their reward for their poor attitude, as they fell behind on 50 minutes from a corner.  Cumberworth couldn't believe their luck, but it was perhaps just reward for their efforts.

Diggle made it 2-2 on 55 minutes with a well placed, low driven free kick from Gareth Chew. Diggle made it 3-2 on the hour, when Jeff Whittaker scored from the penalty spot - yet another penalty created by and scored by the same player.

The rest of the game rumbled on, with neither side really looking like scoring too often.  Diggle were grateful for the final whistle, and a 3-2 win, as this had not been a good performance.

Next up was the visit of soon-to-be-deposed Champions, Lepton.  Credit to Lepton, they had the longest possible midweek journey and yet they made it, with a strong team.   This was an interesting and absorbing game of football, between 2 contrasting styles of football, in which Diggle were made to pay for having to play on their postage stamp of a pitch.

The pattern of the game was set very early on: Diggle working hard to get the ball down on the floor, to feed their eager strikers Whittaker and Mayall to run on to and torment the Lepton defence.  Lepton's approach was to pass the ball patiently across their backline, then hoist it over their midfield in the hope/expectation of forcing a throw in, in Diggle's final third. Having won a throw in, they unfurled their one trick pony, Rory Delap play-a-like, to hurl almost undefendable throw ins into the Diggle area.  Such was the paucity of Lepton's approach that it took them until the 40th minute to create an opportunity from open play - a well crafted right wing cross that flashed across the Diggle area.

It was Lepton that took the lead, on 20 minutes.  Having forced 3 final-third throw in's, Lepton's own stocky version of Mr Delap powered in his throw in's, each one causing untold panic in the Diggle defence. Credit where it is due, as crude, unimaginative, and tedious as the throw ins were, they were perfectly executed and at our humble level of football - and bearing in mind Diggle's narrow pitch - extemely difficult to defend.  Diggle's defence could not cope, and a close range header went into the goal.

Diggle responded well and pushed Lepton back, but the home side had to wait until close to half time before they equalised. The penalty, another from Jeff Whittaker, was fairly unremarkable, but the awarding of the penalty was somewhat bizarre.  The penalty was given for deliberate handball on the Lepton goalline.  The offender was yellow carded.  Why only yellow? Handling the ball on your own goalline has to be as perfect an example of stopping a goalscoring opportunity as you will ever find.

The second half proved even more frustrating for Diggle: their boring opponents continued their Rubgy Union impression - kicking for Diggle's final third to force set pieces; the referee denied a certain penalty for a push by the Lepton keeper (more of a Common Assault, than a push to be frank), and Diggle's wayward players conspired to fluff every chance presented to them.

The God's of Misfortune rained down their misery on Diggle on 70 minutes when a defensive howler from the home side gifted Lepton their winning goal.

Diggle pressed for an equaliser - which they more than merited - but a combination of poor finishing, brave defending and competant goalkeeping kept them at bay.  As one dimensional as Lepton were, they are clearly well organised and well managed.

Third game was the soon-to-be-crowned Champions, Newsome. This was Diggle's first visit to the vast open spaces of Newsome's new ground - a former cricket ground for those who haven't made the trip to Newsome.  The facilities, dilapidated as they are, present Newsome with a wonderful chance to expand, build and flourish.  What chance for Diggle - entrapped in a pub, playing on a dreadful pitch which this season has been acceptable only because 11 a side football continues to diminish in the Oldham area.

The game itself was a great advert for the League and yet another good contest between these 2 sides.  Newsome clearly know the dimensions of their new pitch, as they tried to push the ball from right to left, left to right searching for an opening in the Diggle ranks. However, despite an understrength side, Diggle dominated the first period and Newsome's fragile temper began to show as a shoving match between 2 of their own players provided some comedy part way through the first half.

Playing with the noticeable slope, Diggle took the game to Newsome and were rewarded on half an hour when Jeff Whittaker converted another penalty kick, after he had been wrestled to the ground in the Newsome area.

At half time, Diggle led one nil and they were challenged to see if they could complete the job.  It seemed that Newsome had been given a similar challenge as they emerged for the second period with a much more determined frame of mind.  The home side gained the initiative and the lead within 8 minutes of the second half starting.  The first goal was a good goal at our level: short throw in; into feet and back to the thrower; thrower drives in a fierce cross to the Diggle backpost where the Newsome left midfield player obliged by heading the ball home.  The second goal came from a scramble from a free kick. 

At 2-1 down, and with Newsome beginning to find form, we began to fear for Diggle.

However, our heroes battled their way back into the game and were rewarded on 75 minutes with another penalty.  Whittaker was fouled again; Whittaker scored again. 

Final score: 2-2: great game of football.  Either side could have won - with both teams dominating the half in which they had the advantage of the slope.

Fourth game was v the by-the-sound-of-the-Heywood-website-cheating-so-and-so's, Hepworth. What a huge anti climax this match was.  If this had been a 5-10 win for Diggle then there couldn't really be many complaints.  However, Diggle couldn't muster one single goal and they should hang their  heads in shame for that.  You couldn't really imagine Newsome or Lepton being so immature and wasteful.

Diggle could and should have been 4 nil up at half time but their finishing lacked any composure.  Their best chances all failed to even require the Hepworth keeper to make a save: unforgivable.

At half time, Diggle were urged to be patient and keep their calm, on the basis that a goal must surely come at some point.  However, no goal did come.  Chance after chance - all wasted. Diggle showed a huge lack of quality in the final third, and it is quality that wins matches.  Hepworth offered pretty much nothing - despite having Marilyn Manson's brother up front for them.  Hepworth's defence battled gamely - particularly their two full backs, who grew in confidence and quality the longer the game went on.

2 points wasted.

Ho hum................