Bradford Sunday Alliance Senior Cup: Oakenshaw 1 Crossflatts Village 3

CHAMPIONSHIP side Crossflatts Village are through to the League Cup quarter-finals after an impressive win at Premier Division side Oakenshaw.

It was a great team performance inspired by man-of-the-match Matthew Bentham. Flatts' captain and central midfield maestro put in yet another trademark quality display.

A rousing pre-match team-talk had the desired effect, with Village winning several 50/50 challenges in the opening ten minutes which set the tone.

The sides went into the break at 0-0 with both guilty of missing chances.

Village centre back Matty Morgan went off injured after 55 minutes and was replaced by his brother Lewis. The change almost paid dividends straight away but Lewis blazed his shot over.

Flatts kept the pressure on and the ever-improving Billy Bailey let fly from 25 yards but his shot hit the bar with the keeper well beaten.

Flatts deservedly broke the deadlock when Bentham delivered an inch-perfect corner that was nodded home by Colin Schofield.

The home side levelled only two minutes later when Aaron McGee nodded home. The visitors didn’t panic and it wasn’t long before they regained the lead thanks to a 20-yard pile-driver from Stephen Schofield.

Flatts didn’t rest on their laurels and pressed for a third goal which finally came when a tantalising Ollie Metcalfe free-kick was met by James Gill’s head and the ball found its way to striker Michael Garnett, who made no mistake.

Village player-manager Kevin Gill was delighted with his team’s efforts once again.

He said: “I couldn’t ask any more from the lads. I asked for them to work their socks off and they didn’t let me down. It was like we had 15 players on the pitch.

"Their work-rate and the brand of football that we played was exemplary. It was first class.

"This is why we play football, for days like today. Beating a Premier Division team convincingly on their own patch is a great buzz.

"We have finally started taking our chances and we are going to take some stopping now. The worrying thing for the rest of the league is that we still have a few more gears to go through.

"We just need to keep working hard for each other and keep improving and we will take some beating.”

Flatts will now play Prospect FC away in the last eight on Sunday, November 12.