Yorkshire Amateur League: Farsley forced to work hard for win

New-look Stanningley Old Boys made Premier Division holders Farsley Celtic Juniors work for a 3-1 win at Bradford Academy on Saturday.
Action from Rothwell v Horsforth St Margaret's.Action from Rothwell v Horsforth St Margaret's.
Action from Rothwell v Horsforth St Margaret's.

Danny Lyons, who looks set for another prolific season after plundering 33 goals last term, gave Farsley – who have not been beaten in the league for over a calendar year – the lead on 10 minutes.

Stanningley have decided to absorb their reserves, hitherto in the second tier, into one top-flight team to bid for survival and they equalised through Joel Snape after 22 minutes.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Lyons was at it again on the half-hour to make it 2-1 and Craig Farrand’s deflected long-ranger just before half-time made it four wins in a row for the champions.

Ealandians will have been grateful to get back to winning ways with a comfortable 3-0 defeat of Beeston Juniors at Elland Cricket Club.

Rob Gerrard and Glyn Haley scored in the first half and James Flowers in the second to secure a straightforward victory over a Beeston side that will be concerned about the drop even at this stage.

St Nicholas have justifiably cursed their luck on several occasions recently and had cause to do the same after their 1-1 draw with Leeds Medics.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In a tight game between two evenly-matched sides, Ryan Brough broke the deadlock after 70 minutes but the Medics were awarded a controversial spot-kick for handball with less than 10 to play, duly converted by Alex Monk.

In the Championship, the ever-reliable Sverrir Kristinsson was the match-winner once again for Leeds Medics Reserves in a 3-1 win against inconsistent Thornesians.

After a cagey first 45, Fraser Ritchie put the Medics ahead and a second followed quickly through Kristinsson.

Ryan Dobson pulled one back in the 80th minute at Weetwood, only for Kristinsson to take the Medics to second.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Beeston St Anthony’s and Wortley have both blown hot and cold in the early weeks of the campaign so it was perhaps no surprise that their clash ended 2-2 at Beggars Hill. Ben Leighton made it 1-0 to Beeston, a goal cancelled out by Joe Hudson; Owen Hammond then put the home side on top again but Wortley replied within a minute through Shane Thompson.

In Division One, Leeds Independent and Horsforth St Margaret’s lead the league with 11 and 10 points respectively, looking down on a pack of five teams all locked on six points each.

Independent were tripped up by Leeds Medics III as a 2-2 draw was played out at Gledhow. Damon Jenkinson and Ryan O’Donnell were on the scoresheet for the home side, while the Medics struck through George Machin and Fergus Kwaga.

Horsforth made no mistake with a 5-1 victory against Rothwell at Fleet Lane. Jake Williams notched himself a brace alongside strikes from Nico McDonald and James Watson.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

On the back of three straight defeats, Garforth Rangers hit Batelians for six goals without reply. Dale Regan, Dale Swatman, Paul Hutswitt, Scott Harding, Luke Richardson and Kean Varley all hit the back of the net for Rangers.

Drighlington did the Yorkshire Amateur proud for the second week in a row with a remarkable 6-2 win against Golcar United in the West Riding Challenge Cup first round.

After a keynote win in the Old Boys Shield last weekend, Bob Greenwood’s outfit blew away Golcar – previous winners of the cup – with a superlative first-half display that saw them 4-1 up at the break. Shane Sowden was the star with a hat-trick and Mikey Durham, Brett Thompson and Joe Hirst also helped swing the tie the way of the Championship side.

Goals from Shane Gaunt and Michael Davis took Farnley Sports to a 2-1 win against accomplished Ossett Town Reserves that they can be delighted with.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Grangefield strolled past Rothwell 7-2, earned by braces from Andy Kenyon and Matt Tomlinson.

And Alwoodley progressed with a low-key 4-1 defeat of Westbrook YMCA.

It was a second cup exit in as many weeks for Trinity; after crashing out of the Old Boys Shield they were ground down by Britannia Sports who beat them 5-0.

Championship side Shire Academics did not disgrace themselves but exited the cup at the first-round stage with a defeat by the same scoreline to Springhead.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Meanwhile, second-tier favourites Morley Town came up against a force of nature in Field who came away with an emphatic 15-3.

In the West Riding Trophy, which also got underway at the weekend, there were wins for St Bede’s, Grangefield Reserves, Idle, Drighlington Reserves and Leeds City Old Boys, who put 21 goals past Rothwell’s third string.

Related topics: