Wetherby 0 Oxenhope 3

Oxenhope got their West Yorkshire League Premier Division season off to the start manager Paul Brearey demanded, claiming all three points.

They dominated their opening fixture and played some fast, slick football on a superb playing surface.

The visitors took the lead on five minutes when a corner from Dan Moriarty was firmly headed in past the keeper by defender Jason Walton.

On the quarter-hour Moriarty again provided the cross, this time for Craig Morris to get the better of the keeper to head into the net.

It was all Oxenhope, with Ollie Metcalfe pulling the strings in midfield and Moriarty and young Tom Marshall running at the home defence and causing panic.

The Worth Valley team’s defence snuffed out any threat from Wetherby, with keeper Sam Lee a virtual spectator.

Early in the second half Moriarty played in Metcalfe, who rolled the ball across the goalmouth for man of the match Marshall to stab home.

The visitors had several more chances to increase their advantage, with Moriarty flashing two strikes wide and then hitting the crossbar with a rasping shot, plus a header from Walton directed straight at the keeper.

This was a superb team performance and came without their leading goal-corer Michael Garnett.

Oxenhope, who were due to visit Fields (4-3 winners over fancied Beeston on the opening day) last night, are on the road once more on Saturday when they take on Whitkirk (2.30pm).

They also travel to Otley Town next Wednesday (6.15pm).

The reserves face Beeston on Saturday at Marley (2.30pm) in their first league match of the new campaign.

Oxenhope: Lee, Bairstow, McNicol, Nelson, Walton, Gill, Clewes (Hancock), Moriarty, Morris (Smith), Metcalfe, Marshall (Ritson).