Steeton 4 Huddersfield YMCA 1

STEETON recorded a first home league win of the season against 12th-placed YMCA. After putting out an appeal, the club employed a number of ball boys in an effort to keep up the pace of the game – and this seemed to work quite well.

The Chevrons got off to an amazing start when, after only two minutes, a cross from the left was headed home by Lee Reilly despite a valiant effort from the goalkeeper to make a save.

However, the lead lasted around two minutes. After a scramble in the home penalty area, centre back Sam Rooke made a last-ditch lunge to clear but the visitors' number nine set up I Chamal to equalise.

The early drama was not over as two minutes later Reilly registered his second with another header – this time from a corner.

Arley Barnes was unlucky to strike the upright with a snapshot, while Steeton were aggrieved when what they felt was a blatant handball in the visitors' penalty area went unpunished. Reilly had a chance to complete a first half hat-trick but collided with a team-mate when going for a cross and the chance went begging.

The second half saw the visitors go on the attack from the off and a 25-yard effort went inches wide while, at the other end, Barnes hit the post again, this time with a header.

Steeton keeper Danny Thorpe produced a smart save from a rasping low drive by the YMCA number nine and he thwarted the same striker on two other occasions.

The visitors continued to attack and only a last-ditch intervention by Danny McNulty prevented an equaliser.

The hosts were lucky not to go down to ten men when midfield dynamo Tim Hird was shown a yellow card after a hefty challenge.

As the opposition pushed forward, gaps were left at the back and Mark McGee was put through one-on-one but the goalkeeper was smartly off his line to smother the ball.

Ten minutes before the final whistle Steeton's persistence down the left wing resulted in McGee dribbling the ball along the byline, almost to the foot of the goalpost, before pulling it back for Andy Holden to smash home.

Steeton made it 4-1 after good play between Holden and sub Joe Park set up McGee, who drove home from the edge of the area to keep up his consistent goalscoring record.

The visitors persisted and Holden had to clear off the line before Thorpe was made an athletic save.

Chevrons boss Roy Mason said: "It was a better performance and no more than we deserved. We were a bit edgy in our play at times which is understandable given our mixed form of late, but it gives us more to build on going forward."

Steeton: Thorpe, Driver (Holmes), McNulty, Rhodes, Rooke, Whiteoak (Cox), Holden, Hird, Reilly (Park), Barnes, McGee.