West Riding County Amateur League: First division cup survives as wintry weather wipes out league schedue

League general secretary, Stuart Marsden, said wintry weather coming in off the Pennines was the reason for so many postponements.

“The weather’s beaten us again, unfortunately,” he said.

“The majority of teams in the league are from the west of the county, so they catch the bad weather coming in off the Pennines.

“Unfortunately it’s taken it’s toll again this weekend.”

The pick of the cup action saw Ventus/Yeadon Celtic crash out 5-1 at home to Thornton United. The Leeds-based side had progressed by the same scoreline against Tyersal in the previous round, but Thornton proved too much and convincingly dumped Celtic out of the cup.

The away side had progressed from the previous round with a 7-1 home rout against Westbrook YMCA, and this weekend’s result will demonstrate that high-scoring victories in the cup are more than a mere fluke for the Thornton outfit.

There was another high-scoring cup tie as Route One Rovers carried their impressive league form into the Division One Cup to dispatch Wibsey 5-2 at Esholt Sports Ground.

Route One had won three on the bounce in the league so their comprehensive victory in the cup comes as no real surprise.

One of those victories was a 7-3 victory over their cup opponents Wibsey in the league, and the visitors are now without a win since their 6-2 drubbing of Ventus/Yeadon Celtic at the beginning of January.

The cup-ties between Holmfirth Town and Steeton Reserves, and West Horton and Golcar United Reserves were both postponed.

In the Premier Division, Golcar United would have been hopeful of extending their league lead and halting the challenge of fourth-placed Littletown, with the two sides due to meet at Longfields Recreation Ground.

Meanwhile second-placed Huddersfield YMCA were due to host struggling Honley FC with the hope of closing the four-point gap between themselves and the top of the table.

But no team was able to gain an advantage at the summit, with both fixtures postponed.

Second-bottom DRAM Community FC’s visit to Lepton Highlanders and Salts’ home tie against Campion will also be rearranged.

The weather also played havoc in Division One, with both league fixtures postponed.

Leaders Britannia Sports FC’s home tie against Wakefield City and bottom-of-the-table Hunsworth’s trip to second-bottom Tyersal will both be played at a later date.

In Division Two, league leaders Salts’ home fixture against Bradford FC was also postponed, as were the two Division Two Cup fixtures.