West Yorkshire League Division One: Aberford 6 Oxenhope Rec 1

OXENHOPE’S winning run of five games on the bounce came to a shattering halt with a mauling at the hands of a team they had knocked out of the League Cup only a month ago.

Since then Aberford have recruited several new players but Oxenhope’s cause was not helped when keeper Stu Devlin saw red and was dismissed.

The home side got off to a flier, scoring three goals in the first quarter.

On five minutes a through ball was run on to and slotted into the far corner. Minutes later Oxenhope lost the ball in their own half and the Aberford striker hit his second and on 15 minutes a cross from the right was headed in.

Oxenhope were rocked but had a chance to reduce the deficit when Dan Moriarty played in Tom Marshall but, with only the keeper to beat,he fired wide of the far post.

Minutes later a Euan Bailey free-kick was headed back across goal by Scott Nelson to Marshall but his goal-bound effort was superbly turned away by the Aberford keeper.

On the half-hour mark, the referee deemed the ball had come off an Oxenhope player and allowed the home striker to slot the ball home from an offside position. Then five minutes before the break Aberford knew it was their day when they made it five with an audacious lob from 35 yards.

Oxenhope regrouped and produced a much better performance in the second period. They had the home side pegged back but, on the hour-mark, a breakaway down field and a cross from the right saw the ball turned in at the near post. Rec got the reward their second-half efforts deserved when a Bailey free-kick from out wide on the right was headed in by Lewis Hopkinson.

Oxenhope will need to put this disappointment behind them for a crucial game at home to Altofts on Saturday (2.30pm).

Oxenhope: Devlin, Fleetwood (Scott L), Williamson (Snowden), Nelson S, Ward, White, Hopkinson, Bailey, Moriarty, Quinlan S, Marshall.