West Yorkshire League Alliance Division One: Boroughbridge Reserves 5 Oxenhope Rec Reserves 4

OXENHOPE’S second string were beaten by a late winner in a nine-goal thriller.

With several players on first-team duty, skipper Keann Shaw had to don the keeper’s gloves and, despite letting in five, pulled off several top-drawer saves in a man-of-the-match performance.

Rec drew first blood when a through ball was collected by Liam McNicol and he flicked the ball around the keeper. Ten minutes later McNicol held off a strong challenge before setting up Joel Gallagher and he placed his strike beyond the keeper.

In the final minute of the first half the home side pulled one back from a corner swung in and their striker rose the highest to head in.

On the hour-mark, Oxenhope restored their two-goal cushion, Gallagher curling the ball into the top right corner from the edge of the box.

Minutes later Boroughbridge broke down the right and the ball floated over everyone into the top left corner. The home side drew level from the spot after a clumsy challenge in the box, only for Oxenhope to regain the advantage when Danny Makinson drove along the edge of the box and unleashed a fierce shot.

On 80 minutes Boroughbridge restored parity when their front man collected a loose ball in the box and squeezed the ball past keeper Shaw.

In the dying minutes the hosts snatched the winner. Shaw somehow got a hand to what looked a goal-bound shot but the ball fell lose for a Boroughbridge player to toe-poke home.

This Saturday the reserves travel to Field Reserves in a League Trophy game (1.30pm).