THERE was no love lost in Silsden’s 4-2 Valentine’s Day defeat to Bottesford Town at The Office Interiors Stadium on Tuesday night as both teams finished a feisty game with 10 men.

Bottesford opened the scoring on the half-hour mark through Jonathan Nyantou and despite Jake Maltby levelling just a minute later, the visitors went into the break ahead after Mason Ellender sent a calm finish beyond home keeper Sam Kelly.

After the interval, the Poachers added a third, with Clayton Bryant heading home a corner, before Silsden’s Jack Normanton made it 3-2 from the penalty spot.

Joe Simpson’s 66th minute strike secured the win for the visitors, before tensions boiled over late on for both sides.

Ellender was first to see red following an altercation with Jacob Smith, and then moments later Smith himself was given his marching orders after picking up a second yellow card for a late challenge.

The early exchanges saw no real opportunities for either side, but on 30 minutes the game burst into life.

Nyantou was set free on the right hand side of the box and he unleashed a low finish into the bottom corner to open the scoring for Bottesford.

Just minutes later, Cobbydalers midfielder Jake Maltby grabbed the equaliser with a low curling effort from outside the area which found the bottom corner.

The visitors hit back quickly, as some poor defending gave Ellender half-a-yard and he rifled the ball beyond Kelly to give his side the lead heading into half-time.

Silsden’s recent set-piece woes continued just three minutes after the break, a corner proving their undoing this time, with Bryant heading in a third.

There was a glimmer of hope on 55 minutes, as Normanton converted from 12 yards after Joe Crosby had been brought down inside the box.

Bryant was then sin-binned for the visitors, but Bottesford were not about to throw a lead they had twice worked hard to establish, and they extinguished Silsden hopes soon after.

Simpson found himself one-on-one with Kelly and he made no mistake, placing the ball into the corner to make it 4-2.

With the game nearing its end, Ellender got himself into an altercation with Smith and threw what looked to be a headbutt, leaving the officials no choice but to send him off.

Smith was then also sent off for a second bookable offence for a late challenge, rounding off a disappointing night for the Cobbydalers.

It is now two defeats in a row for Silsden, whose promotion dreams are now realistically over.

They will feel they need a result in Saturday’s away clash with West Yorkshire rivals Golcar United should they want to avoid slipping into mid-table.