Hallmark Security League Division One: Silsden 5 Cheadle Town 2

JOE GAUGHAN celebrated being presented with his Division One player of the month award by scoring a hat-trick as Silsden preserved their 100 per cent record with their eighth straight league win.

Despite the margin of victory, the result was in doubt until late in the game.

Cheadle, who had moved up to sixth in the table, stunned the Cobbydalers with a second-minute opener when Jake Ambrose got round Mark Everingham to slide a low shot past Callum Jakovlevs.

Silsden responded immediately with Chris Wademan cutting in from the left to slip the ball to Gaughan to equalise a minute later.

However, the visitors went ahead again with only ten minutes on the clock. Luke Hincks looked certain to head the ball home from an Ambrose cross but was pushed in the back by Matty Moses and the spot-kick was blasted home by Liam Delaney.

The Cobbydalers were rattled. They were in an unfamiliar position, being outplayed, and their passes were going astray. Thoughts went back to last season when Town did the double over the Yorkshire side, winning 5-2 in Manchester and 3-0 at the Cobbydale Construction Stadium on the last day of the season.

George Clarey came close to doubling Cheadle’s lead before Silsden found their composure. Kyle Hancock played a one-two with Gaughan before shooting a tad too high and Wademan had two efforts blocked.

With 15 minutes before the break, a move involving Hancock, Gaughan and Wademan ended with Niall Sultan making it 2-2, cutting in from the right before driving a low shot into Daniel Whiting’s net.

Some patient play led to Cheadle finding the net for the third time only for the assistant to flag for offside.

The pattern of the game changed after the break, with Cheadle seeming to abandon their incisive passing game for an attritional battle. This certainly helped the Cobbydalers, who were able to exploit the space behind the Mancunians' back four.

They almost took the lead ten minutes after the break when Arley Barnes fed Sultan down the right. Sultan crossed and Josh Kaine rose above the defence, but his header grazed the far post.

Twenty minutes from time a melee broke out in the Cheadle half. It seemed like 'handbags' but the hold-up only heightened Town's frustration.

Mateusz Tomas replaced Trueman and Nicky McNally came on for Wademan. Immediately Silsden were reinvigorated and Gaughan put the Cobbydalers in front on 80 minutes.

As the game entered stoppage time, McNally sent Sultan free down the right. He cut in from the by-line and slid the ball to Gaughan to complete his hat-trick.

There was still time for McNally to make it five with an audacious goal. Cutting into the box, he weaved his way past three defenders before finding the keeper blocking his way. It looked that the chance had gone but McNally turned away from the goal before swivelling and hitting a powerful shot.

The scoreline might have flattered the Cobbydalers but Silsden march on with their 100 per cent record in tact.

Another plus was that Illingworth suffered no problems after his recent injury. With Kaine once again imperious at the back, his partner was able to ease his way back into the team.

On Saturday the Cobbydalers travel to West Auckland for an FA Vase tie which promises to be their toughest game so far. The Durham side, who are flying high in the Northern League top tier, were runners-up in the Vase in 2011-12 and 2013-14.

If the sides are still level after extra-time, there will be a replay at Silsden the following Tuesday (7.45pm, September 26).

SILSDEN: Jakovlevs, Moses, Everingham, Kaine, Illingworth, Trueman (Tomas 67), Barnes, Hancock, Sultan, Gaughan (McNally 78).