Silsden made it three wins in a row with a fantastic 2-1 victory away to Northern Counties East League Premier Division leaders Emley on Saturday afternoon.
Casey Stewart’s first half free-kick opened the scoring before Luke Brooksbank doubled the Cobbydalers’ advantage in the second half.
Determined defending kept the Pewit’s out until Alex Metcalfe forced the ball home on 89 minutes, but it wasn’t to be for the hosts as Silsden took home a well-deserved three points to keep their faint play-off hopes alive.
The first real opportunity of the game fell to Silsden’s Brooksbank on the quarter of an hour mark, as he met Jake Maltby’s cross inside the penalty area but sent his effort over on the stretch.
Emley weren’t without chances of their own however as James Walshaw looked to add to his 27 goals for the campaign, only to be denied by an impressive diving save from Sils stopper Jay Rabone.
If that first save was good, what came next from the 19-year-old was even better.
A scramble from a corner looked to be heading into the net before Rabone brilliantly scrambled back to claw the ball off the line and ensure the score remained level.
The deadlock was broken just five minutes later as Stewart stepped up and curled an unstoppable 25-yard freekick around Emley’s five-man wall and into the back of the net.
With the hosts on the back foot, Nash Connolly had an opportunity to double the lead just before the break, finding space inside the box and unleashing a powerful strike that was well tipped over by Alex Petrovic.
After the interval, the Cobbydalers survived a few scares.
Adam Clayton was forced into a smart interception inside his own six-yard area, the resulting corner being volleyed inches wide of the upright.
Don’t take your chances and you will be punished and that’s just what Silsden did to the hosts on 66 minutes.
Brooksbank picked up the ball on the left wing before driving inside and firing a fierce strike on goal that Petrovic could only get fingertips to before it ended up in the goal.
The danger was far from over for Sils as Emley continued to look for a way back in the game.
They thought they’d halved the deficit just moments after Silsden’s second goal from a corner, but the skipper Ross Daly was there on the line to make a crucial clearance.
With the game clock ticking down, both sides had further chances, Emley’s Walshaw dragging a shot wide of the post, while Brooksbank’s effort from close in was smothered well by Petrovic.
Metcalfe’s late strike for Emley did make for a nervy final few moments, but Silsden were able to hold on and bring away the three points.
In fact, it was only a very good save from Petrovic to deny Kayle Price on 93 minutes standing between an even sweeter result for the visitors.
The result sees Sils remain 10th in the table on 49 points, nine off the play-offs with six games to go.
Silsden’s re-arranged trip to Barton Town tonight was called off this afternoon, due to a waterlogged pitch, so they are now due back in action with a Non-League Day Bradford derby against Eccleshill United this Saturday.
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