Nelson strike secures derby win for Bronte

With the first game ending in a draw and Bronte wanted to make a quick start and take the game to Steeton with it being their home game, as last Wednesday's fixture was held at Marley.

Bronte made the perfect start scoring after five minutes through David Armstrong. After Steeton had failed to clear the ball after two attempts Armstrong coolly slotted home from seven yards to make it 1-0 to Bronte.

Bronte's tactics of playing three men up front certainly had Steeton on the rack and they had keeper Chris Wheater to thank for keeping them in the game. At the other end Steeton were creating their own chances and Ricardo Falconi fired straight at Dave Bainbridge when he should have done better after a good interchange with Dave Scott.

However Nutter blew his whistle for a re-take after a Bronte player David Alderson was adjudged to have come in to the penalty area before the ball was struck. Scott kept his cool and made no mistake second time around.

The goal galvanised Steeton and they started to create chances, Falconi again going close. But it was Bronte who grabbed a second. Ben Furness, who was bossing the midfield, threaded a through ball past the Steeton back line and Armstrong stole in for his second to put the home side back in front. On the stroke of half-time Bainbridge couldn't hold Scott's drive and Falconi was alive to pounce onto the loose ball to ensure that the sides went in level at the break.

The second half saw Bronte change formation, which caused Steeton problems as David Nelson started to have a big impact on the game.

In the 65th minute, it was Nelson who was sent clear through on goal after good work by Liam Blacka although his shot was well saved by the Steeton keeper Chris Wheater, but he but he calmly slotted in the rebound to make it 3-2 to Bronte.

Martin Maude should have wrapped things up when Gareth Atkinson's poor pass let him in with only Wheater to beat. However he snatched at the chance and the ball went wide of the post. Chris Smith went close late on for Steeton with a long-range effort but it was Bronte who have now taken four points from their local rivals to make it a good start to the season.

Bronte: D Bainbridge, Sollitt, Davies, Alderson, S Bainbridge, Furness, Blacka, Nelson, Armstrong, M Maude, Campbell.Subs: I Maude, Chapman, Gulzar Steeton: Wheater, Sennett, Burns, Atkinson, Hardman, Falconi, Trowers, Foster, Scott, Horsfield. Subs: McNally, Smith, Boyle.

Crag Road 1 Bronte Wanderers 1 Bronte travelled to Apperley Bridge to face Crag Road who also got promotion last year from Division Two. Crag went into the game being the only Division One side to have won their opening three fixtures.

Bronte altered their formation from the previous game and looked disorganised in the first half hour. Bronte then altered their formation to try and add some stability. It worked and within a matter of minutes Dave Armstrong found himself advancing on goal before selflessly squaring the ball to his strike partner Martin Maude to give Bronte the lead.

Bronte would have hoped to hold onto the lead until half-time, but minutes before the break slack marking from a Crag free-kick allowed their central midfielder a free header from ten yards to level the score.

The half-time team talk seemed to galvanise Bronte who were defensively a lot tighter after the break, restricting Crag to few chances, despite pressure in the early stages. As the half wore on it looked like Bronte would be the side who may nick a goal, but a combination of wasteful finishing and numerous off-sides prevented them from breaking the deadlock and they had to be satisfied with returning home with a point.

Bronte travel to Wakefield City on Saturday. The match kicks off at 2.30pm.

Salts 1 Steeton 0 With six players out injured or unavailable Steeton were down to the bare bones on Saturday for their visit to Salts.

Seventeen-year-old Sam Ash was drafted into the side at right back and Matty Boyle came in at centre half. Steeton were dealt a further blow when striker Colin Horsfield failed a fitness test before the game and this left them with only two fit players for the bench.

Salts started the stronger of the two sides and their long ball style of play had Steeton under pressure early on. Once they had weathered the early Salts storm they started to get their passing game going with young Ash being prominent in most of the attacks that came down the right hand side, his link up play with Falconi was starting to give the aging Salts back line problems.

Chris Smith worked the home keeper early on with a couple of rasping drives. Dave Scott also went close and it looked a matter of time before Steeton would score.

However half-time came and the break slowed Steeton down and they couldn't get their passing game going in the second half.

Salts pushed Steeton further and further back and with the home side winning the battle in midfield Steeton found it tough to create anything.

Salts' direct approach won them the game in the 83rd minute when they stabbed home a loose ball following a goal mouth scramble. Steeton could have snatched a point at the death as Smith rounded the keeper but couldn't dig his shot out and the defender managed to clear on the line.

This Saturday Steeton face Heckmondwike Town at Summerhill Lane with a 2.30pm kick-off Keighley Shamrocks 1 Tyersal 2 After two heavy defeats on the bounce Keighley Shamrocks were looking to pick up from where they left off last season.

Coming back into the fold was veteran Gary Lund, and with a few more new faces in addition to the squad, Shamrocks aimed to put their early season blues behind them against a good Tyersal team who also had two defeats under their belt.

The first half was a very open affair, as both teams looking nervous on the ball. Stuart Whitehead was involved in most of the middle play, and Joe Brady threatened Tyersal's goal from the off.

But Tyersal took the lead in the 20th minute after a solo effort from Arron Heywood, and the Shamrcoks had their backs to the wall leading up to half-time.

After the break it was Shamrocks who came out with the fighting spirit, Steve Cutler going close twice in as many minutes, and the ever present Danny Finn stringing some good play in the middle of the park. The next goal was crucial and it was Liam Gallacher who notched it after some good play out wide, making it 2-0 to Tyersal and time running out.

For a good 20 minutes from the end, the Tyersal back four had to clear their lines, and with five minutes to go Whitehead swung a leg at a misplayed ball luckily to see it go in off a Tyersal defender.

But Shamrocks could not find the equaliser they so deserved, and the game finished 2-1 to Tyersal. Man-of-the-Match Wedge deserved the plaudits with an impeccable display on the right side of defence.

Shamrocks lost their fourth match in a row on Saturday when they went down by a score of 5-0 at Brighouse Town.

Shammies will hoping for a change of luck this Saturday when they host Hemsworth MW at Marley. The game kicks off at 2.30pm.

Steeton Reserves 6 Keighley Shamrocks Reserves 4 Steeton emerged the victors in this keenly contested local derby on Saturday at Summerhill Lane.

The match went close to the wire due to the home side letting a five-goal lead slip, as Shammies amazingly pulled the score back to 5-4 with just a couple of minutes remaining.

The goal feast started as early as the fifth minute when Mark Hardman's through ball found impressive debutant Johnny Lawrence, who pressurised and beat the last defender before coolly slotting his shot past keeper Yaksley from just inside the box.

This set the scene for some impressive football from the Summerhill Lane side with Nicky Trowers pulling the strings in midfield along with the industrious Hardman, looking to release the threat of Lawrence and Tony Cooper.

Steeton inevitably increased their lead on 29 minutes when a ball played wide on the right was collected by Marc Sennett. He crossed and although the ball was cleared it found Hardman, who was dragged down under a defenders' challenge, referee Gareth Nutter awarding a penalty. Anthony Foulger blasted home the spot-kick, only to have to re-take due to encroachment, but this time comfortably sliding home the second attempt to make it 2-0.

Steeton continued to dominate for the rest of the half and when Shammies did break, Ian Wellock did well to snuff out the threat posed by Ryan Hook.

With just five minutes of the second half gone, another through ball found Cooper who raced clear of the defence and this time beat the advancing keeper with a subtle left footed angled lob to put the home side 3-0 up.

A minute later Ash Nettleton broke free from full back out wide on the left and pulled the ball back to predator Cooper, who was lurking in the six-yard box. He duly worked the ball onto his left foot before unceremoniously blasting into the top corner to make it 4-0.

In the tenth minute of the half Shammies conceded a free-kick and centre back Foulger curled the 25-yard shot into the top corner, leaving the keeper stranded and it looked like it was "game over" at 5-0.

But Shammies battled on bravely, as minutes later Steeton keeper James Wiggan had to take evasive action to acrobatically tip over a deflected shot for a corner.

Steeton lost their shape a little bit as subs were introduced, and then on 22 minutes a long ball was played through to Shammies sub Andrew Fox, who coolly slotted home as the home defence appealed for offside, to pull it back to 5-1.

Then Wiggan did well to block another shot before Ryan Hook ran onto a through ball down the middle and slotted his right footed shot past an exposed Wiggan this time to make it 5-2.

Minutes later another long ball through found Hook, who blasted his right footed shot past a helpless Wiggan to make it 5-3.

And with a few minutes remaining Kyle Fox whipped in a corner from the left, which Wiggan spilled and Hook picked up the loose ball and duly completed his hat-trick and it was "game on" at 5-4.

But with just minutes remaining Damien Smith played a ball in from out on the right, substitute Simon Perryman pulled back to Hardman, who blasted home from close range, to make it 6-4 with just seconds left on the clock, as Steeton secured the three points and top spot in the division.

On Saturday Shamrocks Reserves are away to Bay Athletic, Steeton Reserves are away to Dudley Hill Rangers and Bronte Wanderers Reserves host Ardsley Celtic.