Chris Ovington looks delighted after scoring the winner for Ossett Town. Picture: Mark Gledhill
Ossett Town 2-1 Clitheroe
Chris Ovington was the hero for John Reed’s Ossett as the winger scored a dramatic last gasp goal to earn his side all three points on the opening day of the Evo Stik Division One North campaign.
A share of the spoils looked a certainty with just minutes remaining until a quickly-taken throw-in from Rob Bordman found Ovington.
Ovington flickd the ball over his marker’s head before firing the winner through the goalkeeper’s legs.
Ovington had played a part in Ossett’s opening goal. His cross deceived the Clitheroe goalkeeper and came back off the woodwork.
Youngster Josh Whiteley, making his competitive debut, reacted quickest and pounced to score – before choosing to celebrate with a spectacular somersault.
Liam Hutchinson equalised for Clitheroe and the scores were level until Ovington’s intervention.
Ossett Town: Dobbs, Hepworth, Merris, Wood, Brown Davies (Holt 66), Ovington, Patterson (captain) (Jones 75), Bordman, Curtis, Whiteley (Ryan White 93). Subs unused: Akeister, Dixon.
Clitheroe: Green, Brady, Garner (Morton 29), Freeland, Mercer (captain), Lynch, Aspin (Bonaminio 65), Wilkins, McLean (Dunckerley 46), Hutchinson, Walker. Subs unused: Burns, Collinge.
Youngster Josh Whiteley pounces to score for Ossett Town. Picture: Mark Gledhill
Whiteley celebrates by doing a somersault. Picture: Mark Gledhill
Chris Ovington shoots and scores the winning goal. Picture: Mark Gledhill
Harrogate Railway 5-5 Mossley
Billy Miller and his assistant Lee Ashforth went through a whole range of emotions as Harrogate Railway played out an incredible high-scoring draw with Mossley.
Despite going a goal down, Railway responded brilliantly and thanks to goals from Harry Coates, Nathan Cartman (2) and Adam Baker, they were leading 4-2 at the break.
Mossley got it back to 4-3 before Baker scored again to increase the lead.
Railway were still leading until the final ten minutes when Mossley threw the kitchen sink.
Thomas Dean scored Mossley’s fourth and Steve Foster completed his hat-trick by scoring the dramatic last minute equaliser for the visitors.
Harrogate Railway: Dean, Maloney, Hunter, Thirkell, Morris, Baker, Kidd (Bromley 68), Mycoe (captain), Coates, Cartman, Colley. Subs unused: Ashforth, Hesketh, Coupland, Dywer.
Mossley: Higginbotham, Brown, Bennett (Pratt 68), Dean, Granite, Weston (Anderson 68), Keogh, Hevingham, Foster (captain), Fish (Matthews 68), Carroll. Subs unused: McGrath, McDonnell.
Referee: Andy Smith (Castleford)
Attendance: 100
Harrogate Railway’s Jon Maloney wins the aerial battle. Photo: CaughtLight Photography
Adam Baker celebrates scoring his second goal. Photo: CaughtLight Photography
Adam Baker is congratulated after his first goal. Photo: CaughtLight Photography
Lancaster City 3-0 Farsley AFC
A debatable penalty, given for hand-ball, proved to be the start of the undoing for Farsley at Lancaster.
Referee David Underwood’s decision to award Lancaster a penalty after 15 minutes gave Tom Kilifin the chance to score and he duly did.
The striker doubled his tally before Aaron Taylor completed the win for Lancaster.
Lancaster City: Hale, Hudson, Clark, Davis, Marshall, Bailey (Draycott 74), Winder, Akrigg, Woods, Taylor (Dodgson 66), Kilifin. Subs unused: Donlon, Crossley, Birch.
Farsley AFC: Taylor, Hardy, Serrant, O’Brien, Riley, Harris, Nightingale (Hull 61), Daly, Edwards, Clamp (Priestley 53), St. Juste. Subs unused: Lofthouse, Dempsey, Grant.
Referee: David Underwood
Attendance: 224
Salford City 4-1 Scarborough Athletic
Gareth Seddon was Scarborough’s destroyer as the striker, who has dropped down three leagues, scored a hat-trick for Salford.
Jordan Thewlis had ensured that Scarborough were level at 1-1 at half-time, but Seddon soon took centre-stage.
Prescot Cables 0-0 Ossett Albion
Albion had a poor first half and failed to produce the flowing football we had seen in pre season games.
Neither side created any real chances and both goalkeepers were virtually spectators.
Albion’s cause wasn’t helped when striker Nicky Matthews limped off after 25 minutes with an ankle injury.
As the minutes ticked away Albion’s bad luck struck again when the in form Ryan Harrison was stretchered off with a serious knee injury.
Ryan was taken to hospital by ambulance and is now waiting the outcome of a scan to find out how serious the damage is.
Albion did look a little brighter in the second half and started playing the passing game they produced recently.
David Brown went close with a cheeky long range effort and Kurtis Noble should have done better late on but his shot from just inside the box went agonisingly wide.
The home side were restricted to just the odd long-range efforts as Albion’s defence held firm.
Ossett Albion : A.Rhodes, D.Lucas, R.Hardaker, H.Owen, W.Milnes, P. Oniama, K.Noble, A.Jones, D.Kelly, N.Matthews (D.Brown), R.Harrison (L.Richardson). Subs not used : S.Nicholson, M.Thompson, R.Tracey.
Attendance: 158
Division One South
Norton United 2-1 Stocksbridge Park Steels
Referee Philip Hardisty’s performance was condemned as Stocksbridge crashed to an opening day defeat at newcomers Norton United.
Nathan Joynes returned from injury and scored to put the Steels in front, but was then involved in the game’s turning point.
The striker was sent off for an alleged bad challenge and the match unfolded from Stocksbridge’s perspective.
Tom Winkle equalised and prolific goal-scorer Michael Lennon won it for Norton in the last minute.
Stocksbridge Park Steels: Flynn, Scully, B Turner, Biggins, Senior (captain), Lawrence, D Joynes (Turner 75), Schofield (Dyer-Stewart 76), Garside, N Joynes, White (Lever 84).
Attendance: 83
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