Horbury Town 1 Oxenhope Rec 1

Oxenhope travelled to Horbury Town with three key defenders unavailable, while their opponents sat second in the table and the form side of the division following an unbeaten run of eight games.

In such circumstances it looked a tough task but Rec put in one of their best team performances of the season to return with a well-earned point.

Horbury put the visitors under pressure for the majority of the first half but Oxenhope’s scratch back four held firm, with young Connor Madden, Gaz Ritson and stand-in centre back Ollie Metcalfe putting in outstanding performances alongside the ever reliable Jason Walton.

Oxenhope started to carve out opportunities as Josh Kaine played in Dan Moriarty, who beat his marker but slipped just as he was about to deliver his shot. At the other end, Walton was supreme in the air, Madden and Ritson cut out the Horbury wide players and man of the match Metcalfe and keeper Sam Lee tidied up any through-balls.

Just as it appeared that Oxenhope had accomplished a well-deserved first-half clean sheet, the home side scored from a free-kick just outside the box which gave keeper Lee no chance.

After the break Oxenhope came out on the front foot. Tom Marshall broke down the left and played the ball into Kaine. He beat his marker and fed Moriarty, who hit the ball just wide.

Leon Smith continually used his pace to frighten the Horbury defence as Oxenhope won corner after corner. Will Wells headed agonisingly over from one.

A clever Moriarty free-kick then found Metcalfe but, not realising he had time, he flicked his first time shot narrowly over the bar.

With time running out, Lewis Hopkinson found Moriarty, who cut into the edge of the box and fired the ball through a sea of bodies to find the bottom far corner of the net to gain a more than deserved point for a team effort where every single player had put in a shift.

Oxenhope travel to Knaresborough Town tomorrow night in the league before playing at Silsden White Star in a Keighley Cup semi-final on Saturday (2pm).

Oxenhope: Lee, Madden, Ritson, Metcalfe, Walton, Wells, Kaine, Moriarty, Smith, Morris, Marshall (Hopkinson).