YORKSHIRE LIONS put up a determined show against First Division high-fliers Barugh but went down 3-0 in the Under 11 Cup first round.

It was a long-delayed tie for the Warrenside-based Second Division side, who proved they were in no mood to be pushovers and made Barugh fight very hard to progress to the second round.

A muddy pitch greeted the players but, despite the slippy conditions, both sides turned on a fine display to entertain the supporters.

Barugh got off to the kind of start they expected when Josh Neil took advantage of the Lions’ inability to make an effective clearance and fired home from close range after just five minutes.

And Barugh’s seemed to be cruising minutes later when Jordan Allott and Matthew Dickinson set up a counter attack which resulted in Henry Padgett doubling their lead.

But the home side had other ideas and with a little more luck might have got something from the game.

Non-stop Iyrwah Gooden, who caused problems for the visitors throughout the game, almost pulled one back after 20 minutes but, having evaded three tackles and rounded the keeper, the midfielder could only watch in agony as his angled shot rolled across the face of an open goal and inches wide of the far upright.

After withstanding a period of Lions pressure, Joseph Haigh, Harvey Ashton and Greg Dawson set up a series of raids for Barugh but a couple of excellent blocks from Joseph Harriot – and three equally excellent stops from keeper Cameron Sandhu – left the visitors frustrated at half time.

The second half produced much of the same with the game still on a knife edge, the Lions trying hard to get back into the game and Barugh looking for a goal to finish the job.

With legs beginning to tire in the heavy conditions, Donae Lawrence began to find space on the right wing to send in a series of crosses, but Will Doherty, Walid Malik, Matthew Woodrow and George Hart held their ground and the Lions were unable to force a breakthrough.

As the game entered the final quarter, George Nicholson set Barugh back on the attack with some fine tackling and passing to ease the pressure on their defence.

His hard work finally paid off when a pass found captain Greg Dawson, whose weighted chip over onrushing keeper Sandhu nestled in the back of the net.

That was with just two minutes of the game remaining, and the home side’s hopes of an upset were finished.

Yorkshire Lions will take encouragement from their performance against one of the age group’s top sides which should inspire them to start climbing from their mid-table position in Division II.

Meanwhile, although Barugh never really looked like losing, this game will have served as a stark reminder that even teams from lower divisions cannot be taken lightly and, with a second-round game against Second Division promotion chasing Heckmondwike coming up, they will need to learn fast.