Leeds Combination League: Hope Inn move on to nine wins on the spin

Jubilee Premier side Hope Inn Whites returned to league action at the weekend as they faced HT sports at home looking to make it nine wins from nine.
Hope Inn's Danny Maw fails with his effot past HT's Ross Monaghan. PIC: Jonathan GawthorpeHope Inn's Danny Maw fails with his effot past HT's Ross Monaghan. PIC: Jonathan Gawthorpe
Hope Inn's Danny Maw fails with his effot past HT's Ross Monaghan. PIC: Jonathan Gawthorpe

And they duly obliged with a 2-1 win over HT courtesy of goals from Jones and Weadald.

Hope Inn’s nearest challengers, Main Line Social, were also in action as they entertained New Pudsey at home.

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Heading into the game, the two sides were separated by just one point and the game was equally tight with Main Line edging it 2-1.

Hope Inn's Shaun Mallory celebrates after making it 2-1. PIC: Jonathan GawthorpeHope Inn's Shaun Mallory celebrates after making it 2-1. PIC: Jonathan Gawthorpe
Hope Inn's Shaun Mallory celebrates after making it 2-1. PIC: Jonathan Gawthorpe

John Mallinson scored for the visiting New Pudsey while Bradley Francis-White and Joe Hudson scored the crucial goals for Main Line.

That result moved Main Line to within five points of leaders Hope Inn Whites, keeping their slim hopes of league glory alive.

Neither of the top two were in action in the Premier Division which gave Hunslet Club and Rodley the chance to narrow the gap at the top.

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Both sides grasped the opportunity with Hunslet smashing Moortown Albion 5-2. Geoff Clarkson and Ben Weir both scored for Moortown but those goals were cancelled out by a brace from Hunslet Club’s prolific striker Richard Wheelhouse and solitary strikes from Killian Mabey, Ben Wade and Mckenzie O’Rourke.

Hope Inn's Scott Jones lifts the ball over HT goalkeeper Ross Monaghan to open the scoring. PIC: Jonathan GawthorpeHope Inn's Scott Jones lifts the ball over HT goalkeeper Ross Monaghan to open the scoring. PIC: Jonathan Gawthorpe
Hope Inn's Scott Jones lifts the ball over HT goalkeeper Ross Monaghan to open the scoring. PIC: Jonathan Gawthorpe

Rodley were up against Harehills – who claimed just their second win of the season the previous week – in what turned out to be a tight affair.

Daniel Marcinkowski (2) and David Allanson struck for Harehills but they still ended up on the losing side as Jordan Heyes, Kurtis Keyes, Brad Longhorn and Lewis Shanbanjo scored for Rodley.

Division One’s second-placed side, Acorn, made a real statement with their emphatic 9-3 defeat of Crown & Anchor.

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Mark Webster (2) and Adam Pulford were the only players in Crown & Anchor shirts to leave the field with any dignity after their side were sunk by strikes from Mickie Fletcher (3), Graham Major (2), David Sexton, Dylan Ramsey, Josh Maskill and Josh Simpson.

That result moved Acorn to within five points of league leaders Bardsey and will surely fill their players with confidence ahead of the run-in.

Elsewhere, third-placed Kirkstall Crusaders Academy made short work of struggling Sporting Pudsey as they eased to a 4-1 victory.

Ryan Wilson (2), Faisel Sheikh and Andrew Williamson scored for Kirstall whilst Terry Saynor grabbed a consolation goal for a beleaguered Sporting Pudsey.

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The remaining Division One fixture between Commercial and True Brit was a five-goal thriller.

Anthony Coates and Nick Sutcliffe scored Commercial’s two goals with Jordan Lee, Dan Gale and the ever-dangerous Dan Ajibona scoring for True Brit.

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There were just two games in the Leeds Combination Division Two over the weekend but that didn’t halt the goalscoring action; Western Juniors were on the wrong end of an eight-goal bonanza with Amaranth Crossgates Athletic.

David Morris and Jordan McMichael were the scorers for Juniors with Amaranth grabbing six courtesy of Jack Harris (2), Jonny Wright (2), Dave Morley Senior and Joe Packer. It was a big win for Amaranth as it put clear distance between them and bottom side Sporting Pudsey seconds.

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Bramley Lions, who are just one point ahead of Amaranth in the league, had no such luck in their clash against Sheepscar, losing 3-0. A Tesfa Walton brace and a strike from Daniel Smith sealed a run-of-the-mill victory for Sheepscar.

The stand-out clash of the weekend in Division 3 was the match-up between first-placed New Inn Whites and second-placed Pudsey Athletic. It was the chasers that claimed victory, beating New Inn 3-1 with goals from James Obank (2) and Duncan Spence. That result draws Pudsey level s with New Inn at the top of the table with two games in hand.

At the other end of the table struggling New Armley Reserves fell to defeat at home to Original Oak. Ian King had scored for New Armley but his strike was overshadowed by an impressive hat-trick from Original Oak striker Gav Connor which sealed a 3-1 victory for the oak.

Elsewhere, West Leeds edged a close encounter with Bramley Amateurs 2-1 thanks to a brace from Hinchcliffe.

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Four teams from the Leeds Combination League were in cup action in the third round of the Sanford Cup and LUTY Cup. In the Sanford Cup New Armley and The Woodcock went to penalties. Danny Dyche and Mark Ferguson strikes for New Armley had been cancelled out by an own goal and an Andrew Roebuck strike. After a tense shoot-out New Armley eventually triumphed 5-3.

It was a similar story in the LUTY Cup with Bardsey winning 3-1 on penalties against Old Crooked Clock. A Tom Franklyn double and goals from Jack Carr and Jordan Deacey for Bardsey had seen the game finish 4-4 after regulation time.