Steeton 1, Tyersal 2

Steeton bowed out of the West Riding County FA Challenge Cup first round last Saturday but must be wondering how on earth they managed to lose a game in which they had been so dominant.

Following their previous week’s heavy defeat at Bay Athletic, the side contained two changes, with Ricardo Falconi coming in on the left-hand side and Paul Linyard returning in goal following a calf injury.

Steeton were looking lively from the off, with Falconi having a spring in his step and Andy Holden looking to get on the ball and make things happen.

Within the first few minutes there was controversy when Jamie Longley sprung the offside trap and the Tyersal keeper was a good yard outside his area when he made a save.

The referee ignored Steeton’s protests in which, to add insult to injury, Longley had his name taken for dissent.

Within five minutes, it was the visitors who took the lead when Graham Sides’ speculative shot squirmed past Linyard and dropped into the bottom corner in a move that was totally against the run of play.

Sam Rooke headed narrowly wide from Holden’s corner, and Holden then combined with Graham Holmes to fire wide from the edge of the box.

Dave Alderson broke from left back and his shot was again just the wrong side of the post.

At the other end, Glenn Beale fired over when he cut inside on the left-hand side in a rare Tyersal attack.

Holden and Falconi then interchanged passes, with the latter firing straight at the keeper, and Holmes headed Falconi’s deep cross just the wrong side of the bar.

Falconi then managed to wriggle past two men on the edge of the box but his toe-poke rolled agonisingly wide.

Longley then again tested the keeper with a fierce drive on the stroke of half-time.

The second half took a while to get going, and Beale again fired from a tight angle but Linyard was down quickly to block after Jimmy Christian’s loose ball was pounced on.

Tyersal then doubled their lead when Alan Morley fired in from the right-hand side hard and low, giving Linyard no chance.

Falconi looked to drag Steeton back into the game with a strike from the edge of the box.

The Summerhill Lane side then made a double substitution, with James Gill and Lee Reilly being thrust into the attack as Steeton changed to a 3-5-2 formation.

Reilly headed just over and the Tyersal keeper made a magnificent save to deny Rooke’s goal-bound header.

With time running out, Holden’s free-kick was tipped onto the post, and it seemed as if it just wasn’t going to be Steeton’s day.

But with four minutes of injury time already played, Rooke again rose to head home Longley’s cross, but with only 90 seconds remaining, it was little to late for Steeton.

Defeat was hard to take given the numbers of chances that were created but at least the performance was much better, giving them hope at Hunsworth on Saturday.

Steeton: Linyard, Rhodes, Alderson (Gill), Christian, Rooke, Ogalbe, Holden, Bailey (Reilly), Longley, Holmes, Falconi. Substitutes not used: M Maude, Trowers.