FA Vase first qualifying round: Knaresborough Town 1 Silsden AFC 2

NEW recruits Zac Hargreaves and Ross Wilson, brought in during the week by James Gill to strengthen the squad, made their debuts.

Hargreaves, a former Bury player, is on loan from Evo-Stik League club Ramsbottom United, while Wilson, once on Manchester United's books, is rebuilding his career after a six-month lay-off.

Gill, who played up front in last Tuesday’s victory over Carlisle City, was forced to play at centre back, with neither Josh Eastwood nor Kev Ryan available.

But player-manager Gill played a pivotal role in the game, scoring a spectacular second goal and dominating in the air as Town pushed for an equaliser.

Defences were on top in the opening exchanges saw defences on top, although the dangerous Brad Walker spurned two half-chances for the hosts.

The Cobbydalers tried to move the ball on the floor, while Town relied more on the long ball, but it was the visitors who took the lead, following some good defending by Matty Moses.

He sent Will Storrie down the right, and he slid the ball across to Wilson just outside the area, who hit a stunning volley into the top, right-hand corner.

Tom Marshall went off with suspected cartilage damage, being replaced by Nicky McNally, and Storrie then dropped in at right back, with Moses switching to the left.

Kyle Hancock drove the ball to the edge of the penalty area from a corner, Josh Kaine dummied and Gill spun and hit a waist-high volley to make it 2-0 – a marginally better strike than Wilson's.

At the other end, Gill and Kaine were dominating, and frustration got the better of Town’s Colin Heath, who was booked for a foul on Gill, which could have been red.

It mattered little to the forward, however, who almost immediately struck Kaine and was dismissed.

In stoppage time in the first half, Hancock turned sharply and damaged his left hamstring, being replaced at the start of the second half by Danny Forrest, himself returning from injury.

The ten men of Knaresborough responded to their disadvantage on the restart, with Moses allowing Walker to run behind him.

Callum Jakovlevs raced off his line into 'no-man's land', and Walker chipped the ball over the stranded keeper to make it 2-1.

The goal lifted the home side but, after Gill had miskicked, Jakovlevs kept the Cobbydalers in the game with a superb point-blank save.

With Silsden running out of zip in the last ten minutes after a busy fortnight, Gill proved a tower of strength at the back with his headed clearances, although it was almost 3-1 when Wilson's powerful shot was tipped over the bar by Jack Rushworth.

Gill said: “Although we had to dig in, I was pleased with the new recruits and the manner we went about our business.

"The injuries are a concern but the resilience and mentality of the team are improving.

"Things are looking up but we must keep our eye on one game at a time.”

The Cobbydalers will be at home to Hall Road Rangers in the second qualifying round on Saturday, September 24, but Silsden's physio will be busy during their rare midweek break as they prepare for Saturday's league visit of AFC Blackpool.

KNARESBROUGH TOWN: Rushworth, Lees, Littlefair (Lancaster 61), Lenehan, Donnelly, Parkes (King 23), Donohue, Hesketh, Heath, Walker, Carole. Substitutes not used: Mavlin, Rodgers.

SILSDEN AFC: Jacovlevs, Moses, Marshall (McNally 32), Kaine, Gill, Hargreaves, Wilson, Hancock (Forrest 45), Storrie, Wademan, Smith. Substitutes not used: Hill, Jacomb, Cox.

Referee: D Hill. Assistant referees: G Paterson, A Crossley.