Steeton draw with Ilkley Town as ex-stopper thwarts them

After an at times lethargic first half, Raeece Ellington’s first competitive goal for the club on the brink of the break sparked life back into the Chevvies after they had fallen behind early on.

However, a dominant second half performance was met by an outstanding display between the Bah’tatter’s posts against his former club by goalkeeper Jordan Moorhouse.

Steeton, the visitors on the night, began the game brightly but failed to really create any real chances.

But any momentum found itself halted in just the 16th minute with the away side's Ed Ogunkoya was forced out of the match with a knee injury following an awkward landing.

Looking to settle back into the contest, Ilkley pushed forward and won a corner.

From the delivery, James Catlow initially caught the ball but spilled under pressure from the onrushing attackers in yellow.

With the ball now bouncing around the six-yard box, nobody in a green and white shirt cleared the ball and this in turn allowed Tom Smith to turn the ball home among the goalmouth scramble.

Shortly after, a 50/50 challenge resulted in a yellow card for Jez Milambo but also a free-kick and nearly a second goal of the evening for the hosts.

The Chevrons failed to deal with a long ball forward, and Catlow made a superb diving save towards his top corner to prevent Smith doubling Town’s lead and his own personal tally on the night.

Now turning the screw themselves, the visitors found themselves frustrated by a number of defensive clearances and Moorhouse saves, after a contentious yellow card for handball against Jake Townsend after the ball had already left the field of play.

Injury-time at the end of the first half brought with it the equaliser Steeton were desperately seeking at a crucial time in the match.

Townsend switched the ball out wide to the left channel.

Now with the ball at his feet, Ellington would show great footwork to cut inside from the wing and whipped a shot towards the far post.

With Moorhouse committed for the save, a wicked deflection off one of his own defenders wrong footed the keeper and with it sent the two sides into the interval level.

Beginning the second half in the ascendency, Steeton created a number of chances throughout but found themselves ultimately frustrated by their former keeper in the shape of Moorhouse.

Josh McKiernon had the first chance of the half, but his flick on from a corner went wide of the far post.

Toby Jeffrey then thought he had the goal to put his side into the lead as Moorhouse spilt his shot from range, the keeper recovering to prevent the ball going over the line just in the nick of time.

Under a barrage of attacking threat from his former teammates, the man with the gloves for Ilkley continued to prevent a second goal.

Tipping an effort from range from Townsend over the bar, the home side were struggling to cope at the green wave coming at them.

Despite a yellow card for McKiernon, a number of outstanding saves continued to follow.

A diving save prevented second goal on the night for Ellington before an outstretched leg somehow denied Nick Crane at the far post after the centre-half found a free header from a Jeffrey corner.

Now into injury time, a quick corner routine from Townsend was denied at the near post by another Moorhouse save before the game filtered out into a draw.