No play-offs for Silsden but Handsworth seen off in style

Luke Brooksbank looked to fill in the number nine role and did superbly, opening the scoring on 27 minutes following some sustained Sils pressure.

However, the visitors were pegged back before the break, with Mitch Dunne levelling the scores for the Ambers.

Despite having the wind against them in the second half, Silsden pushed on and secured the win courtesy of Jake Maltby, Brooksbank and Casey Stewart’s fine finishes, making it three wins from three this past week.

The result leaves them eighth in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division table, but their play-off hopes are now mathematically over after Bradford District rivals Albion Sports won 2-1 at lowly Pickering Town.

It was a warm yet windy day in South Yorkshire on Saturday, with the Sils making good use of the weather in the early exchanges.

Cody Cromack’s effort from outside the box was parried out by Ambers keeper Tom Crosby, before he was forced to recover and save from Ellis Hudson’s follow up strike.

Crosby was called into action again on 24 minutes, with Stewart hitting a low strike that had to be tipped behind.

The pressure eventually told for the visitors as Brooksbank gave them a deserved lead.

Left back Lewis Gardner, making his first start since recovering from injury, found himself with space inside the box and he squared the ball to Brooksbank, who picked his spot well to find possibly the only vacancy on a crowded goal-line, as Handsworth got men back to try and clear.

Brookbank should have perhaps doubled his and Silsden’s tally on 41 minutes, after once again combining with Gardner.

The ball sat up nicely just inside the penalty area but his shot flew well over the crossbar.

With the half coming to a close, the hosts began to grab a foothold into the game and Cobbydalers stopper Jay Rabone was forced into a stunning double save to preserve the lead for the visitors.

Unfortunately for Silsden, they were unable to hold on until the break, as a smart flick on picked out Dunne, who hit a clinical finish into the roof of the net.

You could have forgiven the visitors for letting their heads go down but right from the start of the second half, they pushed hard to try and retake the lead.

Nash Connolly thought he’d grabbed his third goal in the red and black after he headed home a rebounded effort, only to see the flag go up against Stewart moments beforehand.

The frustration of the disallowed goal was short-lived however.

On 58 minutes, a loose ball dropped out to Maltby, who finessed a lovely, curled strike into the bottom corner as Crosby could only watch on.

Silsden kicked on superbly after Jake Maltby had restored their lead just before the hour mark. (Image: Mike Bayly.)

Silsden continued to press for a third, Connolly and Jake Cassidy both going close just moments apart, with Crosby again coming to the rescue for the home side.

Rabone did have some work to do of his own too, getting up quickly to tip over a well taken Dunne freekick.

Instead, Brooksbank put the game to bed on 79 minutes.

A neat through ball from the skipper Ross Daly found him with space in the box and he rifled a wonderful shot beyond the impressive Crosby.

There was more time for Crosby to pull off some saves late on, but there was little he could do about Stewart’s wonderful effort in stoppage time.

A long ball forward picked out the former Liversedge man, who delicately lofted the ball over the keeper’s head and into the back of the net.

That made it 12 goals in three games for the Cobbydalers, who have won three in a row now as the season draws to a close.

There are two league games to go for Silsden now, and next up is another South Yorkshire away day this Wednesday, as they head down to play-off chasing Penistone Church for a 7:45pm kick-off.