County Cup: Carlton Athletic boss Mark Pitts puts four-timer firmly in the picture

Carlton have been running out of room in their trophy cabinet of late with the Town Street side having added the West Yorkshire League and District Cup 2018 double to the 2017 league, District and League Cup treble.

Pitts and his men also felt aggrieved at being denied another possible treble last season when they were kicked out of the West Riding FA County Challenge Cup for fielding an ineligible player.

It means success in the competition would be even sweeter in 2019 and Athletic eased into the quarter-finals with Saturday’s 4-1 triumph at Otley Town.

Carlton also sit top of the West Yorkshire Premier Division with Pitts’ side safely into the semi-finals of the Leeds & District FA Senior Challenge Cup and the last 16 of the West Yorkshire League Cup.

That, though, says Pitts, is the only way for a side with a recent track record like Carlton’s with the boss admitting fellow league big guns Beeston St Anthony’s and Leeds City would be thinking the same.

“When you have done what this side and what this club has done over the last few years, that’s just expected,” said Pitts.

“If you said to Mark Halmshaw over at Beeston what do you want to win this year he’d say all four and if you said it to Leeds City they’d say all four.

“That’s my target as well, by the way, but I’d be happy with one, if we get one.

“But you want to be going for the job lot.

“Otherwise, in my eyes, what’s the point in playing football if you don’t want to win stuff? I don’t think anyone has ever done all four to my knowledge.

“We’ve done three – we did the treble two years ago and the double last season with the Leeds and District and the league.

“It’s going to be an interesting season. If you get one trophy you are happy but really you want the whole lot though that’s me just being greedy!”

Braces from Scott Hargreaves and Nathan Kemp sealed Saturday’s success at Otley and Pitts admits his men have a score to settle in the competition after last season’s expulsion, even if the Athletic boss is no huge fan of the County FA’s new 3G pitch.

He reasoned: “For me, it should be played on grass. That takes a little bit of it away for me in the County Cup.

“But after what happened last year, of course we want to do well in it and win it. If we get there it will be ‘on the night’.”

Carlton’s title rivals, Leeds City, were dumped out of the competition through a 1-0 loss at Yorkshire Amateur League outfit Stanley United.

Josh Whiteley found Ben Huntingdon to head home the only goal of the game for Stanley who had to play the last 25 minutes with ten men following a sending off. City hit the post and the crossbar but ultimately could not draw level.

Field progressed on penalties, holding their nerve to seal a 4-3 success on spot kicks at Huddersfield YM after a 2-2 draw.

Ben Baker and Dean Barton netted for Field in normal time. Huddersfield Amateur also progressed with a 3-1 win at Golcar.

West Yorkshire League Division One side Hartshead stormed through with a 5-0 win at home to Sowerby Bridge as Jack Rodgerson, Andrew Wood, Owan Asquith, Nathan Foster and Blake Maude all netted one each.

But Featherstone Colls lost 2-1 at Grassington United while Oxenhope Rec’ were felled 5-2 by visiting Church Fenton despite a Lee Reilly brace.

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SCOTT LIGHTOWLER lit up Crackenedge with a superb five-timer in a 10-0 hammering of visiting Trinity All Saints Old Boys in the West Riding FA County Challenge Trophy.

Lightowler’s nap hand was supported by a treble from Dominic Simpson with Reiss Brooke and James Blane also netting for the Wakefield League high flyers.

Fellow Wakefield League top-flight outfit, Snydale Athletic, eased through with a 4-0 verdict at Huddersfield YM Reserves. Dalton Holford, Jacob Marsh, Tom Ryan and Levon Zserdicky all bagged a goal each. The Wakefield League Premier’s bottom side Fox & Hounds (Batley) also saw off visiting Leeds Modernians Reserves 3-1.

Wakefield League Division One outfit Fieldhead Hospital also progressed as Harrogate League visitors Burley Trojans were chinned 3-2. Jake Gibson, Nathan Jones and Stuart Tetley all struck for the hosts with Tetley later sent off.

From the West Yorkshire League, Tingley Athletic suffered a 2-1 reverse at Malt Shovel. A whole host of Alliance Division One sides were in action with leaders Field Reserves stung 4-2 by visiting Whitkirk Wanderers Reserves who are two places and three points behind them with a game in hand. Goals from Glenn Wood, Michael Elliott, Connor Charlton and Micaiah Williams sent Whitkirk through.

Beeston St Anthony’s Reserves enjoyed a 5-1 win at home to Garforth Crusaders with a brace from Matthew Wood supported by one apiece from Sam Morrell, Jake Topp and Patrick Courtney.

Huddersfield Amateur Reserves edged out visiting Leeds City Reserves 4-3 with goals from Jason Miller, Ashley Tatler and Jonathan Wilson not enough for City. Oxenhope Recreation Reserves, though, lost out 4-0 at Yorkshire Amateur League side Mount St Mary’s.

Fellow Yorkshire Amateur League side Idle battered visiting Springhead Reserves 8-0 while Wortley also moved through with a 2-1 win at Honley. Leeds City Old Boys Reserves went through 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at home to Uppermill Reserves but Shire Academics Reserves were blitzed 6-1 by visiting Linthwaite Athletic while Amaranth Crossgates lost 2-1 at home to Shelf United.

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beeston st ANTHONY’S took their opportunity to draw level on points with leaders Carlton Athletic in the West Yorkshire Premier Division with a 4-1 away win at Salts Firsts, writes ADAM MAY.

A Sean Jeavons hat-trick helped Beeston come from behind to claim the all-important three points in their quest to knock Carlton Athletic, who have two games in hand and a superior goal difference, off top spot.

Reece Farnhill added gloss to a win that saw Jeavens take his tally to 14 for the season and send Salts Firsts to the bottom of the table.

Toby Harris’ solitary strike gave promotion-chasing Ilkley Town a 1-0 win over 10th-placed Headingley, while the Bojang brothers sent Horbury Town on their way to a 3-1 win over Robin Hood Athletic, with Gibril netting a brace against the side sitting in 12th.

Wyke Wanderers, meanwhile, fell to their 11th defeat of the season with a 3-1 home loss at Hunslet Club as Whitkirk Wanderers netted two without reply in their convincing home win over Rawdon Old Boys.

In Division One, Boroughbridge maintained their place at the top of the table with an emphatic 5-2 victory over Kippax. An Edmore Murau brace, plus strikes from Dominic Creamer, Jake Fletcher and Christopher Simpson contributed to the win over the mid-table side.

Second-placed Aberford Albion, who have two games in hand on the league leaders and are yet to lose a match, maintained the pressure with a comfortable 2-0 win over a Pool side that sit four points above bottom side Howden Clough.

And Howden’s 14th defeat of the season came against third-placed Hall Green United as Tom Fowler netted his hat-trick just after the hour mark before substitute Ryan Hammerton rose off the bench to redden their wounds.