West Yorkshire League Premier Division: Oxenhope 3 Pool 2

OXENHOPE continued their climb away from the drop zone with a gritty, hard-fought

victory over Pool, who had knocked them out of the League Cup last December.

After a dismal first-half showing, a much-improved second-half performance saw the home side claw their way back from a 2-1 deficit at the break.

Pool were seven places above Oxenhope before the start of play and the situation took a turn for the worse when the visitors scored in their very first attack.

A break down the left, a cross to the edge of the box saw Pool striker Josh Wagstaff hit a sweet, looping left-foot shot into the top far corner. Ten minutes later Oxenhope equalised when a Dan Moriarty free-kick was met by Scott Nelson. His shot thundered against the post but he made no mistake with his follow-up.

The visitors were by far the better side, adapting to the heavy surface as Oxenhope tried their best to get hold of the ball.

Pool had several chances but keeper Nick Hudson was in good form. However, he could do nothing when a corner was swung in from the right and Josh Waite rose unchallenged to head in their second on 20 minutes. Pool were now well on top as Oxenhope floundered in the mud. The hosts were lucky not to have gone further behind as the visitors spurned several chances to increase their advantage.

Oxenhope’s best effort for an equaliser was when Chris Day and Tom Marshall linked up to give skipper Lewis Hopkinson sight of goal. His strike hit the inside of the post and was cleared off the line.

Manager James Bailey had strong words to say to his troops at the interval and it appeared to work as Oxenhope showed far greater effort. Their cause was not helped though when influential winger Marshall had to be carried off the field with a bad knee injury.

Experienced James Gill entered the fray and his physical presence in midfield added to the cause.

Midway through the half, Oxenhope’s efforts were rewarded when Moriarty went through on goal and, just as he was about to pull the trigger, he was brought down in the box. He picked himself up and fired home the resulting penalty to make it 2-2.

Rec's winner came on 80 minutes when young Tom Baker summoned up a lung-busting counter-attack down the flank. He cut in along the by-line and his shot was deflected into his own net by a Pool defender Tom Bull.

The visitors threw everything they had into carving out an equaliser but Oxenhope’s defence of Nelson, Dayne Ward, Dan Scott and Gaz Ritson held firm.

When they were beaten, keeper Hudson was in top form. In the final minute, a Pool midfielder let fly with a powerful shot from inside the box but the man of the match pulled off one of the saves of the season to tip over what appeared a certain goal.

Another ferocious strike crashed against the Oxenhope upright from the resulting corner before the final whistle went to the relief of the hosts.

This Saturday Rec entertain Leeds City (2pm).

Oxenhope: Hudson, Ward, Williamson (Ritson), Scott, Nelson, Jalil, Hopkinson, Moriarty, Baker, Day (Driver), Marshall (Gill).