Division One Holmbridge beat Division Two Holme Valley Academicals 2-1 in the first round of the Huddersfield FA Challenge Cup.
Yes, the first round!
This match was originally scheduled to be played on the third Saturday of December.
Because the match had been postponed a few times, an alternative ground was sought by Holmbridge, with the tie eventually being played at Leeds Road Playing Fields.
The bulk of the possession went the way of Holmbridge but neither side created many chances.
The first goal came in the 30th minute when a pass across the six-yard box by Jake Morley was met by Andrew Haigh, who had the simple task of side footing the ball home.
The teams were level in the 75th minute when a breakaway by the Accies ended with one of their players being brought down in the box. Andrew Morris duly converted and the score was 1-1.
The winner came 10 minutes from time.
A through ball by Charlie Allen sent Haigh away with a one-on-one with the keeper and he found the bottom corner of the net.
Another first-round game was played but in another competition – the Groom Cup.
Cup specialists this season, Slaithwaite, beat fellow Division Three Moorside but had to come from behind.
Moorside led 2-1 at the break with goals from Connor Grimsley and Dan Javed, with the only reply coming from Adam Bower.
But how things were different in the second half as Slaithwaite scored five without reply.
All the five goals came in a spell of 19 minutes between the 53rd and 72nd minutes, with a goal each from Damien Allen and Luke Micklethwaite, then Ashley Scott grabbing a 16-minute hat trick.
The fact that Slawit are cup specialists can be illustrated with the fact their last eight matches have been in one of three cup competitions.
They were eliminated from the West Riding County FA Challenge Trophy but are still in both the Huddersfield FA Challenge Cup and the Groom Cup.
Such is their involvement in these cups that their last League outing was on October 30, so their League match today is the first for 13 weeks and, after this one, they will still have a minimum of 14 games to play.
There were two matches in Division Two. Linthwaite had a comfortable win over Cumberworth but, in the other, two sides fighting for a place in Division One next season met at Broadlands Rec in Meltham.
Kirkheaton Rovers were the visitors. Both started the game on 29 points, five behind leaders Aimbry, and it is Meltham who are now clear second.
A Tom Matthews goal in the 17th minute and another from Michael Dolan gave Meltham a 2-0 interval lead. The second half goals were split at one apiece with Dolan scoring his second and Dan Lorryamn netting for Kirkheaton
Meltham have played the same number of matches as Aimbry (both have seven to play) while the Rovers in third have played one more.
But the three promotion places are not just between these three – Marsden are in fourth just two behind Kirkheaton with HV Academicals a further point adrift, and both of these have two games in hand of Rovers. And Linthwaite are not out of it.
