Keighley FA Challenge Cup Round One: Steeton 1Oxenhope 3

LAST year’s Keighley Cup finalists met in the first round of this season’s competition and the holders once again came out on top.

Despite the recent bad weather, to the surprise of many locals the pitch was declared playable and stood up well throughout the 90 minutes.

The hosts dominated the first half and their returning goalkeeper Sam Moore was a virtual spectator for the first half-hour.

The same could not be said for his opposite number, the former Steeton keeper Sam Lee, who made spectacular saves from Lee Reilly, Lee Thompson and Graham Holmes.

Steeton's dominance was apparent in midfield where Jack Richmond and Tim Hird both impressed.

Goalkeeper Lee was finally beaten by an overhead kick from Reilly which found the net but was disallowed for offside.

Five minutes before the interval, and against the run of play, Oxenhope took the lead when when a Dan Moriarty's inswinging corner was nodded in at the near post by Chris Day, who rose highest in a packed box.

Early in the second half the visitors extended their advantage with a superb individual goal.

Tom Marshall, a constant threat all game, jinked his way down the left, cut in along the bye line, evading a couple of lunging tackles, before driving home at the near post from an acute angle.

Oxenhope started to show their quality, with Will Lee dominating the centre of the park. Leon Smith and Moriarty set up Ollie Metcalfe for a swerving shot from distance which fizzed just wide.

The home side were not giving up without a fight and back they came in the final stages.

A corner was headed towards the Oxenhope goal. Keeper Lee slipped but got his hand to it and then grabbed the ball at the second attempt as it rolled agonisingly towards the goal line.

Lee was in action again soon after when he pulled off another top drawer save, tipping the ball over the cross bar from a Steeton overhead kick.

On another occasion the ball ricocheted round the box without a Steeton player being able to add the final touch as Oxenhope rode their luck.

However, after 83 minutes the Chevrons' persistence was rewarded when substitute Jamie Longley, who had replaced Graham Holmes, flicked in a superb cross by centre back Pearson, who had made a surging run down the left wing.

The home side now gave everything they had in a last-ditch attempt to find the equaliser that would take the tie into extra-time.

However, Oxenhope made the game safe in the dying minutes when Sean Quinlan nodded down a cross to the feet of Metcalfe on the edge of the box and he lashed in an unstoppable volley.

This Saturday Oxenhope travel to Robin Hood in the West Yorkshire League Premier Division (2pm), while Steeton visit Lepton Highlanders in the West Riding County Amateur League top flight.

Steeton: Moore, Rhodes, Consoli, Pearson, Rooke, Hird, King, Richmond, Reilly, Holmes (Longley), Thompson (Holden).

Oxenhope: Lee S, Scott, McNicol, Lee W, Blacka, Kaine, Day (Smith), Moriarty (Quinlan), Garnett (Hopkinson), Metcalfe, Marshall.