Silsden sink Athersley thanks to Donovan double

Finn Donovan netted a goal in each half for the Cobbydalers, while Jack Normanton and Kyle Hancock both found the net just before the break.

Visitors Athersley had earlier equalised Donovan's opener courtesy of Mark Stuart, and despite falling 4-1 down early in the second half, they kept Silsden out for the remainder of the contest, and grabbed a late consolation through Jonathan Nyanton.

Silsden came out of the blocks positively, dominating possession from the outset and creating opportunities with some flowing football.

As early as the fifth minute, Athersley keeper Ellis Pickard made the first of his many saves, diving high across to his right to push away Normanton’s right footed shot, following good work from Donovan.

Indeed Donovan was a menace down the right, and after he helped win Silsden a corner, the resulting delivery was only scrambled away to Joe Mitchell, whose shot fizzed wide of the far upright.

Silsden were not to be denied though, and opened the scoring on 14 minutes, after good interplay down the right between Normanton and Brad Riley.

The latter’s pass slipped in Donovan, who was breaking into the right hand side of the box. He composed himself before sliding the ball across Pickard into the far side of the goal to make it 1-0.

But the home side’s lead was short lived, as the visitors forced a corner following some direct play, which Silsden failed to clear properly.

Dan Illingworth’s header away was returned back into the six-yard box and after an initial block, centre-back Stuart turned and fired in the equaliser.

The Cobbydalers’ top marksman Normanton threatened twice in quick succession, but was just off-target with a free-kick, then a curling side-footed effort.

In the 37th minute, after good interplay on the right between Donovan and Riley, the ball got played back to Mitchell, whose side-footed shot was brilliantly caught by the agile Pickard diving to his right.

Then Normanton broke clear in the visitors’ box. He pulled the ball back for Riley, whose shot went narrowly wide.

In the 43rd minute, Silsden were rewarded for all of their pressure.

Donovan’s superb run on the right inside his own half saw him bamboozle a defender and leave him in his wake before he played a great ball though to Normanton.

The prolific striker cut in from the left, before shooting right footed past Pickard, with the aid of a slight deflection off a defender, to put his side 2-1 up.

With half-time fast approaching, Silsden increased their lead.

Following some good play down the left, the ball was fed to Hancock, who cut in from the left hand corner of the box and slotted his low shot into the far right corner past the helpless Pickard to make it 3-1.

Silsden started the second half brightly and almost increased their lead when goalkeeper Kyle Welsh’s clearance from just outside his box found Donovan down the right.

He slipped in Normanton, finding his angled run, only for him to be thwarted by the impressive Pickard, who blocked his shot at the near post.

Then, following good interplay between Lewis Gardner and Riley, the latter squared the ball across the box to Donovan, who calmly controlled it before curling his right footed shot into the right hand side of the goal beyond Pickard’s despairing dive to make it 4-1.

Moments later, Gardner made a great run down the left, cut inside and passed to Donovan, but this time his shot was expertly saved by the increasingly busy Pickard in the Penguins’ goal.

Despite the pressure, the spirited Athersley side did break out occasionally and Welsh did well to smother a shot at his near post as Finnley Morgan cut in from the left.

Silsden’s football was delightful at times and a flowing move from the back through the phases found Donovan, who broke clear in search of his hat-trick, but unfortunately scooped his shot over the bar.

In the 68th minute Silsden forced a free kick on the left hand side following a foul on Hancock, and he and Riley played the ball between them before squaring it across to Normanton, who screwed his shot wide of the right hand upright.

Minutes later, following a big kick out from Pickard, the ball reached Athersley substitute Charlie Clegg on the right, but his angled shot was fired into the side netting.

Then, from a ball into the box from Riley, Penguins defender Martin sliced his clearance up into the air.

The ball fell nicely for the onrushing Gardner, who smashed a left footed volley at goal, only for Pickard to brilliantly tip over for a corner.

On 74 minutes, Rec reduced the deficit when, following some scrappy play, a ball into the box from the right was flicked on by Nico Georgiou-Nicola and bundled home by Nyanton to make it 4-2.

Minutes later, Silsden almost restored their three-goal cushion when after some good play down the right hand side, the ball was played to Normanton.

His clever pass found skipper Arley Barnes in an advanced position, but his low shot was smothered by Pickard diving to his right.

With five minutes left on the clock, Cobbydalers substitute Mark Everingham broke down the right and found Normanton’s willing run, but the striker’s shot across goal just drifted wide of the far post.

Minutes later, the plucky Penguins almost pulled another goal back following a corner from the right, Everingham heading the ball off the line to clear the danger.

Normanton then had a shot blocked for a corner in the last minute, as Silsden ran out comfortable 4-2 winners.

The Cobbydalers, who moved up to 12th with this win, are in action away from home tomorrow night, as they face a league game against another struggling side in Knaresborough Town.