Lepton Highlanders 6 Steeton 1

STEETON suffered their heaviest defeat of the season in storm-ravaged conditions that made good football impossible.

The visitors again had to ring the changes, with players unavailable and injuries further hampering their plans.

Jamie Longley made his first start of the season and Alistair Morgan slotted in at right back, with Andy Holden restored to the side.

Steeton defended the slope and also had the wind and rain in their faces in the first period.

A cross into the box caught the wind, and also keeper Sam Moore off his line, to give the home side the lead, and this was soon doubled when Moore hesitated and allowed the Lepton striker in.

However, the two-goal lead lasted barely two minutes as Lee Reilly was felled in the box and dusted himself down to smash home the penalty. Holden went close to levelling shortly after and Longley did well to turn and put an inviting ball into the area that no one could turn home.

But, with the clock running down for half-time, Steeton gave the ball away cheaply and Lepton took full advantage to go in 3-1 up.

For the second half, Sam Rooke was replaced by Kyle Fox and he put a long-range effort just wide before Jack Richmond tested the home keeper. However, with their first attack after the interval, Lepton increased their lead, and two further goals condemned Steeton to a defeat that didn’t reflect the way that the game had gone

Steeton manager Roy Mason said: “I felt that the conditions were so severe that there was no way that we would be able to have a decent game.

“This proved to be the case, and the first goal was a total freak, and sod's law saw us lose the advantage as the wind dropped slightly in the second period.

"With us now being out of the County Cup and Keighley Cup, we must re-group and maybe start to look towards next season and give some of our younger players more experience."

Steeton: Moore, Rhodes, Morgan (Briggs), Pearson, Rooke (Fox), Hird, Holden, Richmond, Reilly, Longley, Consoli. Sub (not used): Foster.