West Yorkshire League Division One: Oxenhope Rec 3 Leeds Modernians 2

OXENHOPE gained three vital points in their continued climb away from the relegation zone.

In a hard-fought match and on a pitch that cut up as the game progressed, Leeds had the early possession.

It was against the run of play on seven minutes that the home side took the lead. A sloppy back-pass was cut out by the alert Lee Reilly, who slid the ball across the face of goal for Tom Marshall to side-foot home.

Only minutes later Oxenhope’s defence were caught in possession and an angled shot found the net via the underside of the bar.

Gradually the home side took control. A Reilly free-kick was tipped over and a James Bailey corner found the head of Luke Scott but the Leeds keeper saved well.

On 20 minutes Oxenhope grabbed their second. A kicking error from the keeper was capitalised on by Marshall, who played the ball to a better-placed Reilly to calmly tuck home.

Despite the worsening conditions underfoot, Rec started to pass the ball around. A free-kick from Bailey was tipped over and a long kick down field by keeper Stu Devlin was run onto by Reilly but he shot narrowly wide.

Reilly and the ever-willing Owen Williamson then interchanged passes but the latter’s strike was turned around the post. On the half-hour the pressure told. A flowing move saw Danny Driver surge down the right and cut the ball into Marshall, who laid the ball into Reilly for his second.

The home side looked comfortable but minutes before the break a Leeds free-kick was launched into the area and the ball was hammered through a mass of players past an unsighted Devlin.

The second half was a midfield war of attrition as the muddy conditions took their toll.

Oxenhope were reduced to ten men on 75 minutes when Bailey was dismissed for a second bookable offence.

Leeds tried hard to make their man advantage tell but the home defence of Luke Scott, Dan Scott and man of the match Scott Nelson held firm.

In fact, the home side came nearest to scoring when tired legs produced one last move, sub Dan Moriarty, Driver and Reilly linked up well, and the striker rifled in a goal-bound shot which was headed wide by a Leeds defender.

On Saturday Division One Oxenhope travel to Baildon, of Division Two, in the second round of the West Yorkshire League Cup (2pm).

Oxenhope: Devlin, Driver D, Scott D, Nelson, Hopkinson (Quinlan S), White, Williamson (Moriarty), Bailey J, Reilly (McGee J), Scott L, Marshall.