It was cup action again for clubs in the Devonshire Carpets Craven Football League when the first round of the Northern Plant Hire Trophy brought moderate success for the local clubs.

There was a tense finish to the Pendle Forest v Embsay tie when Embsay eventually won 9-8 on penalties while Skipton LMS required extra time to defeat Grassington United 4-1. Skipton Town lost 5-2 at WFC Clitheroe and a single goal gave Cononley victory at Intake.

Grassington led the tie at Skipton LMS with a good strike before half-time. However LMS increased the pressure in the second half and Ian Craven levelled the scores. Will Freakes made a great save to prevent Grassington taking the tie. In extra time Jimmy Potts' glancing header gave LMS the lead and increased it with a wonderful goal from Ian Craven and an own goal completed the scoring as LMS won 4-1.

Settle United Reserves were no match for Premier club Waddington and suffered a 6-0 defeat played at Horton FC. Carleton lost 6-1 at Chatburn and another loss for Bradley losing 2-1 at Long Lee. Hellifield overcame a tricky tie at Rolls Royce with a 3-1 scoreline while a surprise result came at Grindleton where Gargrave lost 3-2. Horton ravaged by injuries were unable to raise a team for their visit to Keighley.

There was not much to choose between Rolls Royce and Hellifield as the home side raised their game, however a Ryan Preston goal for the visitors was the difference in the first half.

Rolls drew level early in the second half when a mistake by the Hellifield goalkeeper gifted a goal to Chris Owen and it was ten minutes from time that Dale Denham scored two excellent goals in quick time to give Hellifield the tie. They could have increased the lead but for the agility of Lee Parkinson in the Rolls goal who foiled several one-on-one situations as Hellfield finished with a 3-1 victory.

Embsay's game at Pendle Forest was well refereed by a Forest stand-in and extra time could not separate the sides.

Forest took the lead only for an own goal to level matters. Forest regained the lead that they held until the last minute when Stephen Speak's goal took the tie into extra-time. Penalties brought the game to a nervy conclusion with Embsay winning 9-8 and with much relief.

Earby Town played host to last years runner-up Clitheroe Lions and matched them throughout the game. A 4-1 scoreline flattered the visitors who are two divisions higher.

It was Earby who scored first when James Oldroyd finished off some good approach work and brother Paul could have increased the lead but his shot hit the angle of the goal.

Clitheroe increased the pressure after the break and drew level with a good header. They went into the lead beating the offside trap and Earby made two bad mistakes which led to further goals. They were unlucky not to score in the second half when good saves were made by the visiting goalkeeper.

Premier Division side Gargrave were surprisingly beaten at high flying Grindleton from Division One and all five goals came from Grindleton as the two own goals they scored were credited to Gargrave. Nick Kendall and Liam Jameson tried manfully for the visitors in a game best forgotten.

In Division Three Skipton Town Reserves beat Embsay Reserves in a re-arranged game with 18-year-old Andrew Cooke completing a hat-trick.

Playing down the Embsay slope he gave his side the lead and extended the lead when his shot rebounded back from a post hitting the Embsay goalkeeper and rolling into the net. He then completed his hat-trick before Embsay got on the scoresheet in a game played in a good friendly spirit well refereed by stand-in Scott Robinson.

Skipton Town Youth Academy had a welcome 6-2 win over Earby Town reserves racing into 5-0 lead inside the first 20 minutes before Earby found some composure scoring through Ashley Garbutt and Ashley Day with Skipton rounding off the scoring with a sixth goal.