Keighley Shamrocks 0 Golcar United 2

With fellow strugglers Wibsey without a game last weekend Keighley Shamrocks failed to take advantage and leapfrog them out of the second from bottom relegation place, going down 2-0 to a very strong Golcar side.

Shamrocks were without James Rutherford, Steve Cutler, Bob Horton and Neil Rollins meaning manager Gavin Finn again had to field a makeshift side. But they will count themselves unlucky not to have taken anything from this encounter.

In the early exchanges Shamrocks came close to taking the lead when debutant Andy Holden put Joe Brady through on goal but a fine save from the Golcar keeper kept the big man out.

Holden himself then tried his luck from 25 yards out when he spotted the keeper off his line but his shot went narrowly wide.

Golcar went on the attack and were stopped time and time again by solid defen-ding by Liam Bellamy and debutant Jimmy Christian. Even when they managed to breach the back four they found Shamrocks' goalkeeper Spencer Harrison in fine form.

Just as it looked like the sides would go in level at half-time Matthew Wilson's attempted clearance fell to the feet of Golcar's midfield general Dave Simons. He drove his shot towards goal where Wayne Dyson smashed the ball home from close range to give the visitors the lead against the run of play. Finn's half-time talk seemed to have fallen on deaf ears as Golcar scored a second a minute after the restart when a fine cross from Simons was met by the tricky Richard Walsh at the near post. He gave Harrison no chance with a crisp finish.

Finn gave his team a dressing down they will not forget and things began to stir in Shamrocks favour. They camped in the Golcar half creating chance after chance with Holden, Brady, John Spurr and Danny Drake all going close but Golcar withstood the onslaught to collect all three points.

Outstanding for Shamrocks were Holden, Bellamy and the industrious Stuart Whitehead but it was Christian who took the Man-of-the-Match award after a sterling display at the back.

This Saturday Shamrocks host Lower Hopton and, having beaten them earlier in the season, Keighley must fancy their chances of picking up some much needed points.

Steeton 1 South Bradford 3 Steeton were left to rue a host of missed chances and they were made to pay as South Bradford showed them the way with a more decisive display of finishing in a game at Summerhill Lane on Saturday.

Steeton started brightly with Sam Rooke pressuring the home defence and going close in the first 30 seconds. Rooke then fired over the bar from just inside the box and his pace troubled the Bradford defence.

Rooke then squared for Dave Scott who fired at the keeper. Rooke again worked the keeper after Scott's good work down the left.

Against the run of play South Bradford took the lead as Lee Newton was harshly adjudged to have brought down the South Bradford winger.

James Wiggan couldn't hold the resulting free-kick and the visitors were one up with their first shot on target. They soon doubled the lead as Joe Park was adjudged to have pulled back the Bradford striker and Wiggan was left with no chance from the resulting penalty.

Mark Wilson fired over the bar as the locals tried to get back into the game, but the pair of goals saw the Bradford side raise their game and they now looked confident in moving the ball around.

Steeton made the worst possible start to the second half as a defensive lapse saw South Bradford hit a third.

Steeton manager Roy Mason made three early second half substitutions as they fought their way back into the game with both Ricardo Falconi and John Butcher both looking lively.

Indeed Steeton should have been awarded a penalty when Butcher was felled in the box but the referee waved away the appeals.

Nicky Trowers went close on a couple of occasions and Gareth Atkinson just failed to connect at the far post as Steeton threw everything at the visitors.

They finally got the goal their second half performance deserved when skipper Jody Proctor fed Falconi who just got to the ball before the on-rushing keeper to stab it home in injury time.

This Saturday Steeton are without a game, while the reserves entertain Bay Athletic at Summerhill Lane in the league cup.

l In another local game in Division One, Bronte Wanderers, playing host to Eastmoor at Marley, drew 3-3 with the second from bottom club. Dave Nelson, Liam Blacka and James Bailey scored Bronte's three goals.