Hallmark Security League Premier Division: Cheadle Town 5 Silsden 2

DEPLETED Silsden were overtaken in the table by Cheadle as injuries took their toll.

Matty Moses, Mark Trueman, Connor Erangey, Sam Hillhouse and Will Storrie were all unfit to play, while Kyle Hancock was suspended.

Manager Danny Forrest gave Shannon Pocock, who has just moved to Silsden from Swindon, his debut and recalled Leon Smith to the starting line-up on a very heavy pitch, which suited the smaller, lighter players rather than the heavier ones.

Cheadle started with two chances from a short corner. Callum Jakovlevs saved the first effort and Robert Foulds cleared the second before Silsden took the lead after seven minutes.

Josh Kaine hit a superb ball over the defence and Niall Sultan chipped the advancing keeper from 25 yards.

Cheadle equalised after 24 minutes when Tom Henderson was dispossessed. Full back Danny Vincent closed down George Blackwell but, without a forward tracking back, the hosts exploited the space behind Foulds and the ball was crossed into the box, where Webb tapped home.

Silsden responded with a penetrating run from Chris Wademan, who saw his shot blocked close to the goal-line, and Sultan hit bar with the keeper stranded. Smith set up Wademan from the rebound but his shot was inches wide.

Jakovlevs then saved a powerful shot from Matt Gedman at the other end.

Town took the lead ten minutes before the break and was a mirror image of their equaliser. A failure to track back by Sultan isolated Foulds and Blackwell slid the ball for Luke Hinks to knock home.

Silsden should have equalised before the break but Sultan, having broken down the left, overhit his cross out of the reach of Wademan.

With Pocock finding his feet, most of the work in the middle fell to Josh Eastwood, who was always in the thick of the action, but the midfield was increasingly starved of support with none of the four front men tracking back.

It was as if the players had taken a step backwards after all the hard work on shape by Forrest and assistant Matt McNeil. Cheadle’s third was a case in point.

From a corner, the ball was pulled back to edge of the Silsden area where Liam Tongue was free to blast home.

Ben Cox replaced Pocock and Nicky McNally came on for Henderson but the shape didn’t change much, leaving the defence at full stretch. Sam Jacomb made two superb tackles and Josh Kaine was composed but the defenders, who had so much to do, tired.

Jacomb headed a corner clear but it fell to Justin Pickering who had time to pick his spot.

Smith should have pulled a goal back but the final touch took him too near the Cheadle keeper. In stoppage time Pickering out ran Jacomb to make it five before Wademan was released by Eastwood to notch a consolation.

A disappointed Forrest said: “We were under strength but I thought we had enough quality to be able to get something out of the game.”

Silsden hope to get back to winning ways at home to Widnes on Saturday.

SILSDEN: Jakovlevs, Foulds, Vincent, Kaine, Jacomb, Pocock, Smith, Eastwood, Henderson, Sultan, Storton. Subs: McNally, Cox.