Storthes Hall 3, Steeton 1

STORTHES Hall's direct style was better suited to a rutted pitch as a couple of individual mistakes cost Steeton any reward in the West Riding County Amateur League clash.

Joe Park, Jack Richmond and Ryan Cox were all unavailable for the Premier Division contest, so Joe Meegan came in at centre half with Josh Ferguson returning at left back and Graham Holmes restored to the side following injury. Jamie Longley took his place on the bench following a year out with a damaged knee.

Good football was never going to be easy on the tricky surface and it was the home side who seemed to adapt better to the conditions. Steeton looked to get their passing game going but it proved difficult as the surface just would not allow for it.

In a first half when clear-cut chances were at a premium, it was Hall who took the lead as a ball over the top caused confusion. Meegan hesitated and Jonathan Bullivant nipped in to push the ball past advancing keeper Josh Brooksbank.

Steeton went close when Lee Reilly fired wide and Holmes fired a great ball across the box but there was no-one there to apply the required finish.

The hosts then had chances to double their lead as Michael Rhodes had to make a last-ditch tackle and Brooksbank did well to block at the feet of Bullivant.

The second period got off to the worst possible start for the visitors as a lapse in concentration at the back let in Gavin Armitage and, despite Steeton's appeals for offside, he slotted home.

The two-goal lead lasted a matter of minutes as Holmes was fouled on the edge of the box and Andy Holden whipped in a free-kick which eluded everybody and nestled into the top corner.

Steeton were then in the ascendancy and, with Arley Barnes and Tim Hird driving things from midfield, it looked like they could come out of the game with a point.

But a hopeful ball over the top led to Ferguson and Brooksbank colliding and that left Bullivant with the easiest of tasks to slot home and seal the points.

Steeton were playing at Tyersal last night before facing a tough trip to champions-elect Golcar on Saturday

Steeton: Brooksbank, Rhodes, Ferguson, Barnes, Rooke, Meegan (Huntley), Holden, Hird, Reilly, Holmes, McGee (Rawcliffe). Sub (not used): Longley.

Steeton Reserves 2, Overthorpe Sports Club 4

STEETON were unlucky not to come away with a point in a Division One game that saw them finish with only nine players due to injuries and a lack of substitutes.

Playing their first game for three weeks, player-manager Andy Foster was one of six changes to the starting line-up that lost to Lepton Highlanders on March 21. First-team call-ups and unavailability reduced the squad to just 11 players.

It was not until midway through the first half that Steeton had their first real chance, when Lewis Robinson's mazy run took him past four defenders and into the visitors' box. But he was unable to find a team-mate and the move came to nothing.

Steeton keeper Martin Foulger had to be alert in the 40th minute when a low Overthorpe free-kick from the left wing passed everyone in the box.

Foulger then hurt himself in a collision with full back Ben Sutcliffe and while the keeper was able to continue in some discomfort, his team-mate had to be withdrawn and a 3-4-2 formation was adopted.

The lengthy stoppage resulted in referee Gareth Nutter adding four minutes to the first half and it was in the last of these that the deadlock was broken by the hosts.

Steeton's ten men started the second half brightly and a good save by the Overthorpe keeper pushed Andy Briggs' powerful shot onto the crossbar.

Ten-man Steeton began to look dominant and got their reward in the 61st minute when Alistair Morgan headed a cross back across the face of the goal for Jonson Butterfield to poke home.

Foulger finally had to leave the field just after the equaliser and he was replaced in goal by centre-back Tom Leach, with striker Greig Hudson taking up the third defender's slot in a 3-4-1 pattern.

To their credit, Steeton refused to play for the draw and rarely looked like a side with a two-man disadvantage – and they almost took the lead in the 75th minute when Mortimer broke down the left and forced a good save from the Overthorpe keeper.

Overthorpe regained the lead when a through-ball from midfield led to a goal but Steeton again drew level when Butterfield netted a penalty folowing a clumsy challenge on Briggs.

There were now only a few minutes left but although Steeton's patched-up defence tackled admirably, they were finally beaten by two goals in injury time.

Second-bottom Steeton are at home again on Saturday as they face Westbrook YMCA, needing to get players back on board in their battle to avoid relegation.

Steeton Reserves: Foulger, Foster, Sutcliffe, Leach, Morgan, Mortimer, McGowan, Robinson, Hudson, Briggs, Butterfield.