SILSDEN AFC 3 v 1 ABBEY HEY FC

Whiteoak 26, Nevins 10 (pen).

Ryan 65, 71. Att.76

CLASSY RYAN BRACE SEALS COBBYDALERS WIN

The Cobbydalers, who had lost to a slick Maine Road outfit in their last outing, were hoping to bounce back against bottom of the table, Abbey Hey, in order to open up a gap between themselves and the bottom two. Things didn’t go quite according to plan. The Abbey, under new management, and with an influx of new players, had performed well in the last two games. When they took the lead after only ten minutes it looked as if the Cobbydalers would succumb. As it was, the Silsden boys rallied and, with an equaliser from Damian Whiteoak and a brace from Kevin Ryan, won comfortably. Indeed the result would have been even more emphatic were it not for a string of outstanding saves by Fielding in the Abbey goal.

Reape was able to bring in Harry Thomson and Lewis Barker, the latter only passing a fitness test in the morning. The full back took some time to settle and, whilst the other three of the back four pushed up, Barker held back allowing the Abbey to break through in the opening minute. Fortunately the chance was wasted. However on ten minutes both Thompson and Barker were beaten by Daniel Cocks, who had cut in along the by-line. Barker upended the winger and NEVIS drove the penalty into the bottom corner.

Barker was to redeem himself with some incisive passing down the right. Chris Simpson latched on to one ball. Holding it up until support arrived, Simpson laid the ball into the path of Peter Hanson. Hanson slid his measured effort wide of the keeper but also millimetres wide of the far post. At the other end, poor defending gave the Abbey another opening. Fortunately Rob Morgan got back to block Cocks’ shot.

Barker then released Ryan who slid the ball wide to Thompson. A reverse pass was on but Thompson took on the keeper who saved comfortably. Another Barker pass up the right, again to Simpson led to the equaliser. Simpson, who was timing his runs to perfection, cut in from the right and shot across the face of goal. He didn’t quite get it right but WHITEOAK was at the far post to slide the ball home.

In a game where the defences were stretched it was surprising that there were no more goals before the break. Ryan went close with one powerful header and had another effort cleared off the line. Bland just failed to reach a near post header before the Abbey went close. Braithwaite’s astute pass freed Aidey Orr but the winger shot over the bar. Thorpe was called into the action to tip-over McGliny’s twenty-five yarder before Fielding made an even better save on the stroke of half time. Ryan had burst between two defenders, shooting from barely six yards. The Abbey keeper got a strong right hand on the effort.

Silsden started the second half with great determination. Simpson had a goal disallowed for offside and Fielding denied Ryan following Whiteoak’s far-post cross. Whiteoak almost scored when Ryan put him through. Morgan had a header saved at point-blank range and Thompson weaved into the area to test the Abbey keeper at the near post. Ryan was denied twice more by the keeper. It was a period of dominance in which one expected to score. Could the Abbey defence hold out?

The catalyst was Danny Finn who replaced Barker. Finn’s impact was almost immediate. Breaking up the left he curled in a cross to the near post. Kevin RYAN ran across the face of goal to head deftly into the far corner. It was a goal straight from the West Ham Academy, albeit of 1966. For Finn read Martin Peters, for Ryan read Geoff Hurst. The only thing missing was someone running onto the pitch. However this game wasn’t over. After Fielding had denied Whiteoak, Finn slid the ball into the feet of RYAN who slid home his second.

Thorpe was only troubled once in the half, gathering a near-post cross from substitute Alex, which was too close to the near post for comfort. Nevis shot wide and Devlin headed over whilst Fielding made sure no more shots went past him, denying Ryan a hat-trick

Next Saturday the Cobbydaler’s visit Glossop North End in the League Cup before entertaining Glasshoughton Miners’ Welfare in the West Riding County Cup on Wednesday, November 4^th.

SILSDEN AFC Thorpe, Barker(Finn), Barraclough, Martin Bland(Blacklock), Morgan, Hanson, Thompson, Hird, Simpson, Ryan, D.Whiteoak, Sub dnp McNulty

ABBEY HEY FC Fielding, Doherty, Schofield, Devlin(Lavenk), Donnolly, McGliny, Orr(Alex), Simpson, Braithwaite, Nevis, Cocks(Jones), Sub dnp Cheetham