Yorkshire Amateur League: '˜Hosts' Shire draw on home comforts

Drig’s pitch at Adwalton Moor was adjudged to be unplayable after the torrential rain on Friday night that decimated the schedule across the Yorkshire Amateur League, so the game was moved hastily to Adel.

Sam Thorpe gave Drighlington the lead in the first half but this was cancelled out before the break by Nick Renwick, who took his tally for the season into double figures in doing so.

Shane Sowden put Bob Greenwood’s side back in front with a sublime strike only to concede a late, contentious penalty that was converted by Josh Thornton – they could debate the award of the spot-kick but not that the Academics deserved to get something out of the game.

The venue switch helped Shire earn another result that distances them from the possibility of relegation, while this was a missed opportunity for Greenwood’s men to capitalise on one of their several games in hand.

Leeds Medics Reserves leapfrogged Drighlington into second place as two goals in each half saw them put Collingham Juniors away 4-0 at Weetwood.

The quality of the surface for the game – played on Pitch One at the Sports Park – helped Medics find their fluency and Nick Maxwell and James Evans, with a penalty, put them two to the good early on in the encounter.

Fifth-placed Collingham are no slouches but were run ragged by Niall Robinson.

Robinson created three of the goals for Leeds Medics and headed home the third, before Eliano Magalhaes Ferreira bagged a fourth.

Two games beat the weather in Division One and they were both thrillers.

Farsley Celtic Juniors Reserves arrested their alarming slide with a 4-4 draw with fellow strugglers Dewsbury Rangers.

It may have only been a point but it halted a nine-game losing streak that set in after a good start to the season.

They began well at Bradford Academy, also, going 2-0 up with only eight minutes played thanks to Joe Firth and Danny Kemp’s strikes.

Rangers battled back with goals either side of the break to draw level, a fightback that evaporated when Louis Surtees fired in a well-worked goal on 72 minutes and Matty Ingham ghosted in at the back post to finish three minutes later.

In a hair-raising closing stage, Dewsbury were awarded three penalties; they missed the first, scored the second which came from a push at a throw-in and converted the third. In the process, Farsley had two men sent off and were left clinging to a draw with nine men.

St Bede’s were minutes away from suffering a fatal blow in the Division One title race but held on for a vital 5-4 win against Rothwell at Haycliffe Lane.

Rothwell, buoyed by their improbable defeat of league leaders Gildersome Spurs last week, were in the lead early on before Bede’s clicked into gear; James Fennell converted a Ty Akram cross and a ball ricocheted in off a defender after good work from Tawheed Ahmed.

Although Rothwell were awarded a penalty and went on to take the lead, Chris Drake and Ahmed helped them stay in front and a late goal from Jared Peltier kept Rothwell at bay.

Bede’s are now level on points at the summit alongside Gildersome, who have two games in hand, while Rothwell face a crucial meeting with Farsley that could decide their future next week.

Successive defeats for Collegians, this time a 1-0 reverse at the hands of fourth-placed Ealandians Reserves, means that Idle are the favourites to secure the Division Two title.

The game at Hullen Edge was a largely uneventful affair and Ealandians didn’t create anything of any note until the 70th minute when Ory Goldthorpe slotted home Jon Pickles’ header to win the game.

Sandal Wanderers, who Ealandians face in the semi-finals of the Hancock Cup this week, beat lowly Woodkirk Valley 3-2 on league duty, and Morley Town Reserves defeated Lepton Highlanders by a goal to nil.

In Division Three, mid-table Modernians sprang a surprise on leaders East Ardsley Wanderers by beating them, 2-1.

In the meantime close challengers Fairbank United kept up their side of the bargain with a resounding 9-1 defeat of FC Headingley, alongside Norristhorpe’s 3-0 defeat of Churwell Lions.

In Division Five, Shire Academics III suffered their second defeat in four games when they were beaten 4-1 by Drighlington Reserves.

In the league’s other game, St Bedes’ Reserves beat North Leeds Reserves 3-2.