DEAN WHARAM scored the winner as Inter Athletic booked a place against Bardsey in the final of the West Riding Sunday Trophy.

Wharam pounced nine minutes from time against a quick and resilient Pudsey Amateurs, scoring from close range after rounding the keeper to settle the semi-final 2-1 at Woodlesford.

Inter started well and tried to get the ball down and pass it around on the carpet-like surface and created a string of chances in the opening 10 minutes.

However, then came the sour note, with John Conheeney having to be helped off the field after an awkward landing which has put the winger on crutches.

Inter had to reshuffle with Wharam going wide left and Andrew Allison moving up front.

And it was Inter who got the breakthrough through a fine solo effort from Kieran Ryan.

He got the ball outside the area, took on one man to put the ball on his left and unleashed a rocket which the keeper didn’t even bother diving for.

Pudsey were obviously up for the battle and gave away a number of fouls for nasty-looking challenges, which resulted in a number of bookings.

Inter were getting a lot of joy from the wide areas through Liam Gibbon’s pace and Wharam’s trickery, but could not add to their earlier goal before half-time.

Pudsey started better in the second half while Inter were a bit slow out the blocks.

The Huddersfield side defended well, however, until Pudsey got a stroke of luck and equalised when keeper Leon Stephenson punched the ball against the unfortunate Kier Mapplebeck, who could do nothing as the ball ricocheted to a Pudsey player to blast home.

Pudsey’s tails were up and they looked threatening, however Inter were always in with a chance as they were very dangerous on the counter attack.

Inter then made a tactical change by putting Ryan in the centre of midfield for a bit more bite and stability, which in turn shuffled the pack up front and on the wing.

The move proved an instant hit as Ryan won the ball and played a defence-cutting pass through to Wharam, who rounded the keeper and kept his head to smash past the defenders guarding their goal.

The last 10 minutes was a battle for both teams, but Inter looked the more like scoring as every time they got the ball to Gibbon and Wharam, they had the better of a tiring Pudsey back four.