LAST season’s Barlow Cup winners Diggle went out in the second round this year to Netherton, so they can’t have been too confident about their chances in the Huddersfield FA Challenge Cup when they were drawn against Division I leaders Hepworth United.

To make their hopes even slimmer, they sacrificed home advantage and played at Hepworth, where they lost 2-0 in early September, but despite all of this they won 2-1.

Diggle played up the slope in the first half and took the lead when a cross was played into the Hepworth box. The keeper collided with a one of his own men and the ball fell to Diggle defender Ryan Hewitt, who shot through a crowd of players for the opening goal.

Ten minutes later, a Diggle move started at the back, went through midfield and out to the right. When the ball was crossed, the keeper, a defender and Diggle forward Matt Taylor all challenged for the ball but Taylor managed to poke a shot home.

In the second half, Hepworth replied when they scored from a Drew penalty but they were unable to penetrate the Diggle defence for the equaliser. Diggle now meet YMCA in the quarter finals.

In another all-Division I clash that also ended 2-1, third-placed Newsome beat Berry Brow exactly as they had done early in November.

Brow took the lead in the 10th minute with a fine solo goal from Tom Oakes when he chipped the ball over keeper Hadfield from the edge of the box.

Was it then the case of the Brow defending or Newsome throwing “everything at them”? But the result was that the bulk of the game was at the Brow end.

When the break was reached, Newsome had not breached the Brow defence and it was still 1-0 as the 80-minute mark loomed.

Then Newsome found an equaliser with another fine solo goal. Dwayne Wilkinson received the ball on the right, cut inside and curled the ball with his left foot into the far corner.

Five

minutes later came the winner from Joel Bryce to earn his side a tie with County Amateur League team Golcar United.

Sandwiched between Hepworth and Newsome in the Division I table are Uppermill, and they had a 4-0 victory over Almondburians.

Uppermill now face Bay Athletic, with whom they have a cordial relationship.

A couple of seasons ago, they met in the final of this competition and, since then, they play each other in a pre-season friendly. The winners of this match will play the winners of the Newsome-Golcar tie in the quarter-finals.

The other two quarter-finals are Meltham Ath v Marsden and Lepton Highlanders v Heyside.

The outstanding quarter-final of the Gee Cup was played and a 1-0 win for AFC Lindley Reserves results in all four semi-finalists being from Reserve Division IV.

As the scoreline suggests, this was a tight game in which Skelmanthorpe Reserves had the early pressure.

There were very few clear chances but AFC Lindley’s win was put down to excellent defending, especially from keeper Sam Quinn, and the strike from Chris Riley for the only goal of the game.

His half volley from 25 yards was worthy of winning the tie.