It was the beginning of a new era this morning as we welcomed our brand new Sunday 1st-team to Moss Park for their opening game of the 2025-2026 - but in truth, these have been part of our family for a while now. With the amalgamation of Breightmet Wanderers into our fold during the summer, we started our 'new life' in Division 2 of the Rochdale and Bury District Football League - Division 2 with the visit of AFC Hopwood - and there was a good buzz to Moss Park as the players started arriving. We're really building a family atmosphere down here at the moment - but more about that later...

As the lads began their warm-up's, it was clear to see that we had a full compliment of 16 available to us this morning. With gaffers Jack and Darren at the helm, it was going to be good to see which 11 would be chosen to start the season - and when it was announced. there were not many surprises. Going with a 3-4-2-1 formation, we had Mitch between the sticks and the three in front of him were to be Ben and Nathan Birch ably assisted by Luke Needham. We were then playing with two wing-backs - Edmund Walsh and Cam Morgado (you need to go on our Facebook page to find out more about Cam after reading this...) - and the engine room was to be provided by skipper Alex Williams and Jack Leigh. The two No. 10's were to be Ben Schofield and Logan Warburton and with Tyrese up top, we were good to go. The bench was strong as well - with the likes of Stephen Palin, John Yates, Mark Laithwaite, Josh Humberston and Cameron Cleary to call upon when needed, we knew we had power and pace to trouble them later in the game. The referee called the skippers together and before we knew it, the whistle was blown and so began another new era in the life of our great club...

And within 86 seconds, it was the United fans that were dancing in the aisles as we struck our first goal of the campaign - and what a goal is was. We quickly gained possession of the ball in the middle of the park and as became the theme of the morning, they seemed to back off allowing the heart of our midfield all the time and space to pick out whatever superb pass they fancied. This time, it was fed into the run of Ben who shrugged off his marker before slamming his left-footed shot into the roof of the net from about 16 yards out - leaving their keeper no chance of stopping it! We were off. 1-0...

The game then got a little bitty from there with us doing all of the pressing but not really creating much - however when Tyrese was fed the ball into the channels, he was beginning to make their defenders work harder than they wanted to. We were still playing some nice football and with Edmund and Cam providing the width and space, we seemed to have a yard on them every time we got the ball. And on 18 minutes, we doubled our lead - with another free-flowing seeing the goal come. We had won it back in the middle of the park and in an instant, we turned defence into attack and the ball was sprayed in front of Logan and as he beat their full-back to it, he slipped it inside and once again, there was that man they call Ben Schofield to unleash a piledriver of a shot into the roof of their net as their keeper could only watch it whizz past him. A great strike, a brace for Ben and we were now two goals to good. The United fans were happy that was one thing for sure...

It didn't stop there though. Oh no. Because just past the half-hour mark we made it 3-0 and once more, Ben was heavily involved. We had won a throw on their left and as he bent himself backwards to launch it in, there was Cam Morgado arriving at the back-post to connect his forehead perfectly to the ball and BANG! - it was 3-0 to the team in white and black. A good goal and surely that was the one that meant there was no coming back. 3-0...

It wouldn't be Breightmet United if we didn't make things harder for ourselves though and with the last kick of the first-half, the visitors managed to get themselves back in it. They had won a free-kick about 25 yards from our goal and as Mitch lined up his wall, it looked as though he had things covered. But that wasn't accounting for their No.7 though and when the whistle was blown, he stepped up and smashed a glorious free-kick hard and fast past our Mitch! The score was now stood at 3-1 and as the referee called time on proceedings for the end of the first period, it was us coming in with the lead - but was that the fuel they needed to produce a comeback? We'd soon see...

Half-time: BREIGHTMET UNITED 3-1 AFC Hopwood

Jack and Darren were quickly into their troops and although we had done well out there, it still be so much better. We just had to relax a little more on the ball and await the right moment to realise it - rather than trying to force the ball in an effort to get it up top too quickly. No changes were made and as the lads gulped their drinks, they all knew they could raise it at least another gear...

The second-half started much as the first had finished - with us doing the pressing and the Hopwood lads defending well - but on 50 minutes, it was 4-1 and although Ben will stake his claim for the hat-trick, it did look to the United fans as though it was an own-goal. But Darren said that own goals are not recognised in this squad - so it was a treble for Mr Schofield and surely us clinching all three of these points. 4-1...

Back came the visitors though and within five minutes, they had reduced the deficit again - when a good move down their right saw the ball fed into our box and with a great turn. their No.8 was able to pick his spot and curl a great effort wide of Mitch's out-stretched hand and into the top corner of our net. 4-2 and we still had a game on our hands here....

The boss decided to make changes and it saw Nathan Birch come off so that Josh could have a slice of the action - and just before the hour-mark, we made it 5-2 with what was arguably the best goal of the day. A superb move down our right saw Edmund hold it up just lojng enough to see Tyrese make the run into the space - and he played an inch-perfect ball into that space - seeing Ty leave his marker for dust in a foot-race before firing his cross right along the six-yard line - and there was Logan sprinting in at the back-post to tuck the ball away from about 5 yards out. A fine goal and at 5-2, surely that was their spirits dampened enough to not want to produce a fightback now...

More changes were made that saw Edmund come off in place of Ste Palin, Cam Cleary on for Luke, Yatesy for Tyrese and Mark came on in place of Ben - and on went the game. We were definitely the team that looked the more likely still but with the game won, we were now just keeping possession of the football and not exerting too much energy. Luke came back on in place of Alex Williams with 15 minutes to go and we also saw Nathan come back on in place on Logan on 80 minutes - but there was still time for another United goal and as we've all come to expect, when you see Ste Palin on the scoresheet it's either a header or a tap-in - and this one was a bit of both! We had worked the ball well down our right yet again and this time, it was Jack Leigh who dinked in a great cross and as Ste got his head to it, it looked too weak to go in - but the keeper decided to be kind and flapped it into the back of the net for our No.8 to make the score stand at 6-2 and that was that...

An opening day victory is all anybody can ask for and in truth, we were probably at 85% capacity out there - so it's a good sign for things to come. Fair play to the AFC Hopwood lads for never giving up and making a game of it right until the end - and we wish you all the best for the rest of the season and a safe journey home. Back to us though and as the lads came off the pitch, they were rightly applauded for their efforts. Ben Schofield was awarded his 2nd MoM of the weekend and as we made our way into the Clubhouse, that was just the start of the shenanigans...

Because as the beers started flowing, so did the initiation songs for the new players - and that was after Cam Morgado had paid his dues for finishing bottom of the FPL League last season and Ben Birch - awarded D*** of the Day - had swept both changing-rooms and made them spick and span. It was a laugh in that Clubhouse this afternoon that's for sure...

And that was the first game done with. Three points. A good crack. And plenty to look forward to as the season progresses. We'll have this every Sunday please lads...

#OnceUnitedNeverDivided