West Riding County Amateur League Premier Division: Steeton 2 Newsome 5

STEETON'S final home game of the season ended in disappointment as they went down to Newsome, who are pushing for the title after winning the Division One crown last season.

After ten minutes Joel Bryce opened the scoring for the visitors. Following a tussle for the ball in the penalty area, he hit a half-volley home past Wayne Mahomet in the hosts' goal.

The lead lasted only a few minutes thanks to Tim Hird, who chased a short back-pass to the Newsome goalkeeper and pressurised him into a hurried clearance which fell to Alex Yates, who scored his fourth goal of the season.

Steeton almost took the lead midway through the first period when defender Alistair Morgan rose high to head goalwards from an Andy Holden corner, but a Newsome defender headed the ball out from under the bar.

Shortly before half-time Kitson Gayle beat the offside trap and controlled the ball well enough to put Newsome 2-1 up at the interval.

The visitors were keen to increase their lead but were held at bay by some good defending from Sam Rooke, Steve Pearson, Joe Mason and Scott Elliot. However, they added a third in the 65th minute when Joshua Shields feigned to cross the ball but then fired a shot past Mahomet at the near post.

Just five minutes later Steeton pulled themselves back into the game when substitute Olly Hunter – who had taken over from left back Elliot – saw his free-kick from the edge of the area smash against the bar and rebound to Andy Briggs, who slotted the ball home for his eighth of the season.

However, despite their best efforts Steeton could not find an equaliser and it was the visitors who scored twice in the dying minutes through Gayle and Bryce, taking advantage of the hosts being reduced to ten men after Tim Hird had to leave the field with a leg injury.

Boss Roy Mason said: "We showed a lot of tired legs in the second half but it's been a similar story all season of not converting chances when we have the lion's share of the game. But in the later stages we had a lot of players running on empty."

Steeton stayed fifth in the table with two away games remaining, while Newsome were second, four points behind table-toppers Lower Hopton but with a game in hand ahead of the midweek schedule.

The Chevrons are now focusing on another big cup clash as they face Littletown in the Premier Division Cup semi-final at Campion tomorrow night (7.30pm)

Steeton: Mahomet, Mason, Elliot (Hunter), Morgan, Pearson, Hird, Holden, Rooke, Briggs (Reilly), Yates, Butterfield (Holmes).