Two sides in Division III with a three-from-three win ratio met as Grange Moor hosted Scissett – so someone’s record had to go and it was Grange Moor’s run that came to an end.
Scissett had comfortable victories against teams at the bottom end of the division but this win showed they could well be a force this season – they were only eighth last year.
Scissett started the better and were on top but after 35 minutes the score remained 0-0.
But two goals in 10 minutes gave Scissett a 2-0 interval lead. They had to thank the Johnson brothers – Michael and Chris who scored one each.
The first came from Michael, who finished off a good move with a simple tap-in. The second from Chris was not dissimilar to his brother’s.
Early in the second half, the Moor had the bulk of possession but could not break the Scissett defence and when Chris Johnson scored his second, the match was in the bag for Scissett. Player-coach Richard Humphrys is in this role for his first season but has been a member of the club since he was nine years old.
He has a couple of men missing for the next two matches and hopes if they pick up some points from these, his side could well be challenging for at least promotion.
Despite this loss, Grange Moor are far from finished. Their win the previous week over AFC Lindley looks even better as AFC Lindley ended Aimbry’s 100% record by beating them 4-1.
After these results, only two teams have a 100% record in this division – Scissett from four games and Brook Motors, who beat Paddock 4-1, from three games.
Another side to lose their 100% record was Second Division Honley. In their first game of the season, they beat Holmfirth Town 3-1 but, last week, the result was reversed with a 3-2 scoreline in favour of the Town.
Holmfirth settled well, created a few chances and opened the scoring when Simon Walsh volleyed home from the edge of the box.
Walsh then set up Adam Sanders for the second. He crossed and following a defensive error, Sanders had the simple task of tapping the ball into an empty net. Honley responded and pulled one back from a Howe free kick.
In the second half, the Town pulled two clear again. This was a Sanders free kick, but the match was far from over. Honley then exerted a lot of pressure which the Town defence soaked until another Howe goal narrowed the deficit back to one with 10 minutes to play.
No further goals meant the Town took the points and now both have a record of three wins from four games.
They share joint second, a point behind Shelley, who beat HV Academicals 1-0 with the only goal coming from Vatani. Shelley have a very impressive defensive record, having conceded only two goals in their four games.
The surprise result of the day came in this division. Cumberworth’s first three games had yielded one goal and one point, conceding 15 in the process.
So when they took on Linthwaite who had won two of their three difficult games, nobody could have predicted a 3-1 win for Cumberworth. But two goals from Bowker and another from Marcus Moxon provided just that.
Newly-promoted to Division I, Heywood Irish started the season with three successive away defeats, but now they are up and running having beaten Scholes 5-3.
Heywoods began well and had Scholes on the back foot but they were unable to create any clear chances. But on 15 minutes they went one up following a super strike by Karl Ross – the chance coming after some neat football.
This spurred Scholes into action, using their height well at set pieces, and it was one of these that led to an equaliser.
A handball gave Matt Jaggar the chance to restore Heywoods’ lead from the spot and he took the opportunity. Scholes soon struck in exactly the same manner as they had done earlier, a header, so half time arrived with the match all square at 2-2.
The game repeated itself again – Heywoods taking the lead, this time from James Walker, and Scholes drawing level with a header. A further repeat was a Heywood penalty after a handball and Jaggar scoring. But that’s where the repeating ended. At 4-3 Heywoods, there was no Scholes equaliser but instead a further goal from player coach Toby Scally giving a 5-3 ending and Heywoods first points.
Going into the Division I games, three sides were level on seven points but now Newsome have opened up a two-point gap. They beat Hepworth 3-1 while the other two joint leaders dropped points. Holmbridge drew 1-1 with Berry Brow and Britannia Sports shared the points in a 4-4 draw with Netherton.
