Long Lee 0 Oxenhope 3
Oxenhope secured their place in this season's Keighley Challenge Cup final by defeating Long Lee in a hard fought semi-final.
The defending Craven League champions took the lead after ten minutes with a well-worked goal, a through ball run onto by Jonathan Clewes who drove forward and sent in a looping cross to the far post. Chris Day's well-timed run allowed him to place his header into the far corner.
Both teams battled to gain midfield supremacy in this local derby as full blooded tackles reigned in with no quarter asked and none given.
After the break the game swung from end to end, but eventually Long Lee started to gain the upper hand.
Probably the turning point in the match came midway through the second half when former Oxenhope player, Will Lee, struck a shot with power. Oxenhope keeper Pete Gower flung himself to his left to make a superb one-handed save to send the ball against the crossbar and to safety.
Oxenhope's Graham Robinson won the ball in midfield, laid it off to Chris Day who broke clear of the home defence and slid the ball into the path of on coming striker Tom Wallbank to place his shot home.
To their credit the young Long Lee side never gave up the fight but a final place was guaranteed when Wallbank was brought down in the box. Scott Nelson made no mistake with a powerfully struck spot-kick.
This sets up a mouth-watering final for the Keighley Challenge Cup as Oxenhope will take on a formidable Cross Hills side at Cougar Park in May.
Oxenhope Reserves 1 Steeton Reserves 2
A tight and keenly contested semi-final was fought out at the Recreation Ground, with Steeton Reserves securing their place in the Supplementary Cup Final against Keighley Shammrocks Reserves.
The visitors started strongly and even playing up the slope showed why they are well placed in the West Riding County Amateur League's Reserve Division with their quick passing style of play.
Gradually the home side settled and came more into the game with Steeton keeper Paul Linyard coming off his line to keep out Ross Bailey. He was called on again when he tipped over a header from a Dave Collier corner. The deadlock was broken after 23 minutes when Steeton broke on the right and Tom Woodward's cross was headed down by Chris Fothergill for Rick Hall to finish from close range.
In the 36th minute Steeton doubled their advantage when Nicky McNally latched on to a through ball to set up Nicky Trowers who slotted the ball home.
Oxenhope's young side could well have folded but they came out for the second half prepared to give a good account of themselves.
Their battling qualities were rewarded when Adam Clewes curled in a free-kick despite Linyard getting a touch to the ball.
This gave Oxenhope the impetus to push on and they exerted a fair amount of pressure with Bailey posing a threat, as the midfield took control of the game. But Oxenhope could not find a way past a well-organised Steeton back line. When they did they found keeper Linyard in outstanding form.
Steeton finished the game strongly and the home side gave their all but it just wasn't to be their day.
This Saturday Oxenhope Reserves entertain league title favourites Pendle Athletic at the Recreation Ground in a top-of-the-table clash, whilst the Oxenhope first team travels to Waddington in an attempt to gather three more valuable points to hang on to their title. Steeton Reserves play at home against fourth place Kirkburton Reserves.
Keighley Shamrocks Reserves 8 Denholme United Reserves 1
Keighley came out of the blocks quick and found themselves 3-0 up within the first 15 minutes. Shamrocks' manager Stuart Wilson said Denholme couldn't recover from the early deficit as the Shammies booked a place in the Keighley Supplementary Cup final at the end of April.
Joe Drake scored a hat-trick for the Shammies while Michael Park added a brace and James Hickman, John Robertson and Neil Rollins all scored a goal each. The game marked Rollins' return from a foot injury that had kept him out since October.
Captain Steve Cutler was the Shammies' Man of the Match.
AC Victoria 2 Oakworth Juniors 1
AC Victoria, by virtue of their victory over Oakworth Juniors, ensured that the Keighley & Aire Valley Sunday League again had a team in the final of the Keighley & District FA Sunday Cup.
This was a tightly contested semi-final with Oakworth opening the scoring on the hour of the game as neither team could score in the first period.
Ten minutes after Oakworth's goal Chris Smith found the net to bring the scores level, and though both teams had chances to win the game, neither side took them and the game went into extra time.
The winning goal came in the first half of this period and was scored by Danny Moriarty to put AC Victoria into the final.
Sadly Cavendish Hotel playing Silsden AFC's Sunday team in the other semi-final could not make it an all-Alliance final as they went down to crushing 15-0 defeat.
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