Golcar United’s hit and miss start to the season has seen them stuck in mid-table, but a 2-1victory at Kirkheaton has moved moves them into fourth place just behind the leaders in the Under 12 Division.
It was a game which either side could have won by a three or four goal margin, but wayward finishing left both teams frustrated.
Plenty of action and end to end football kept the supporters engrossed but it took until five minutes into the second half before Golcar broke the deadlock when Harvey Brook fired a shot which took a deflection to settle in the back of the Kirkheaton net.
Kieran Gillott-Power, Joe Connolly and Kai Phillip worked hard to protect the Golcar lead as Zak Wimpenny and Bailey Hunter kept up the pressure for the home side.
Jayden Hunt fired a shot straight at keeper Tyler Faulkner and Bailey Hunter went close with shot that missed the top corner by a whisker while, at the other end, a Nathan Cavanagh pass found Ethan France but the Golcar midfielder fired high and wide.
Another Golcar chance passed by when Dominic Sullivan cleared an Ethan France shot off the line and, from the counter-attack, Jayden Hunt was unlucky when he scuffed his shot towards the bottom corner but the ball rolled the wrong side of the post.
Harvey Brook scored his and Golcar’s second goal 10 minutes later when he repeated his earlier feat by giving the unsighted keeper Alfie Jenkinson little chance with another shot through a crowded penalty area.
Mason Clay and Taye Simpson-Greenidge also went close as Golcar went in search of a third goal, but Kirkheaton grabbed a lifeline when Matthew Hislop found space on the right to drill a shot into the bottom corner from 10 yards.
With just five minutes remaining, Golcar held their breath as they watched Matthew Hislop round the advancing keeper but man of the match Kai Phillip recovered to clear off the line.
Kirkheaton are nestled in the relegation zone but, on this form against one of the division’s top teams, they should soon begin accumulate points.
YMCA Under 15 side remain in contention for the league title with a well earned win at Wyke.
Wyke scored twice to keep the game on a knife edge but replies from Kyrone Stephenson, Toby Womersley and Daniel Armstrong gave YMCA a 3-2 victory to keep them in second place.
Clifton Rangers Under 11 side progressed to the third round of the cup with a solid victory over Pudsey.
Fifth Division Pudsey were unable to find a reply as two goals each from Leon Enright and Jay Chapman secured a 4-0 win for Division IV outfit Rangers.
