Alliance Division One

Hartshead Reserves 0 Oxenhope Reserves 1

OXENHOPE started the stronger with Connor Pepper and Luke Snowden both going close and any chances Hartshead threatened with were cut out by the visitor’s defensive unit orchestrated by stand-in defender Joel Gallagher.

Oxenhope took the lead, Gallagher collecting a loose ball, played it out to Snowden who broke down the wing, cut into the box and unleashed a shot which flew into the top right corner of the net.

The visitors maintained the pressure with Danny Makinson and skipper Karl Wellard dominating the midfield, they should have scored when the Hartshead keeper made a poor clearance and Pepper was first to react, he smashed his shot against the crossbar, collected the rebound only to see his second strike cleared off the line by a defender.

The home side regrouped after the break and started the brighter but when the Oxenhope defence were breached, keeper Eddie Jackson dealt comfortably with everything that came his way.

Oxenhope's bench was manned by members of their Under 18 squad and when they were brought on in the latter stages they fitted in seamlessly.

In fact, the young trio almost sealed the game with a move that they were all involved in.

Sam Finnigan won the ball, played it out to Keenan Potts, he turned two defenders drove into the box, his shot was blocked, Liam Bonner collected the rebound and his shot went agonisingly wide of the target.

Oxenhope maintained the impetus and Makinson was next to try his luck, winning the ball deep in his own half, ran the length of the field evading several tackles but as he was about to pull the trigger was thwarted by a last-ditch sliding tackle.

In the final minute Hartshead had the chance of salvaging an unlikely point when their winger received the ball on the edge of the box. He unleashed a powerful strike that was heading for the bottom corner, only for keeper Jackson to produce a full-length diving save to get a strong hand to to parry the ball away and Gallagher cleared downfield.

Oxenhope: Jackson, Ellison, Fleetwood, Gallagher, Ward, Quinlan P (Finnigan), Wellard, Makinson, Snowden, Pepper (Bonner), Holden (Potts).