Yorkshire Amateur striker Craig Heard holds the ball up as Sam Jerome holds onto him
Yorkshire Amateur completed the double over leaders AFC Emley, but the defeat won’t dampen Darren Hepworth’s festive celebrations too much because his side will still be a top at Christmas.
Two late goals secured ever-improving Ammers a deserved 3-1 win at the Welfare Ground after a subdued Emley missed a penalty and threw away an early lead.
The victory ensured that Phil Harding and Rick Addy’s Ammers have bypassed last season’s total in the Toolstation NCEL Division One.
Amateur are shaking off the perennial strugglers tag and they look on course to enjoy their best campaign since Paul Lines took them to the brink of promotion in 2011.
The pair have done a magnificent job, along with Lincoln Richards, to revive a dying club and steer it on course for a brighter future on-and-off-the-pitch.
The victory yesterday is another flagstone marking their progress.
The Ammers were always capable of pulling off an upset at Emley having beaten Hepworth’s men in October when Paul Sykes celebrated playing his 900th game.
Emley received a huge lift before the game with the return of playmaker Max Leonard and the midfielder had a big role in the 20 minutes.
He was brought down by Ammers goalkeeper Suwara Bojang for the penalty that Emley were awarded in the early stages.
With their regular spot kick taker and captain Paul Sykes suspended for one game because of five cautions, Leonard took it himself, but placed the ball well wide of Bojang’s right-hand post.
Emley remained on top and Leonard showed great vision by sending Jordan Townend through with a high pass from a deep midfield position.
Townend spotted Bojang advancing off his line and neatly lobbed the goalkeeper to put Emley in front.
Max Leonard lies on the ground after being fouled by Suwara Bojang
Referee Daniel Bennett’s decision wasn’t met with universal agreement
Bojang watches as Leonard’s penalty goes past his right-hand post
False dawn: Jordan Townend celebrates putting AFC Emley in front
Emley celebrate Townend’s opener
Grounded Doran Jordan attempts to tackle Kadan Fishley
The home side ran out of ideas from there on. There was some good build-up from the likes of Doran Jordan and Alex Hallam – included some superb crosses which only needed a toe-poe finish.
But, Emley were made to pay and they switched for Ammers’ equaliser on 23 minutes and it was a former player who came back to haunt Hepworth.
Tom Rose conjured a chance out of nothing. The midfielder danced past several home defenders before slotting a composed finished past Adam Lawlor.
The Ammers were comfortable and the defence led by captain Daniel Freeman were rarely threatened.
The ten minute delay at half-time because of an injury to one of the assistant referees took a lot of the sting out of the game and the second half wasn’t pretty to watch.
Ammers seemed the most likely to score and the introduction of two big guns in Ash Flynn and Ruben Jerome failed to inspire Emley.
The visitors’ moment to pounce arrived with just ten minutes to go. The ball dropped beautifully for their top goal-scorer Joel Hughes on the edge of the box.
Hughes has proven himself as one of Leeds’ most dangerous local strikers and his record for the Ammers and top Sunday morning team Chapeltown Fforde Grene speaks for itself.
Emley let him turn and Hughes was never going to miss with a low strike to beat Lawlor and put his side into a winning position.
Emley responded in the manner any team would and forced a succession of corner which Bojang handled with bravery.
By the dying seconds, Lawlor was up for the last throw of the dice. Bojang claimed the ball and quickly sent Hughes on the attack with goalkeeper Lawlor stranded at the opposite end,
Lawlor had almost reached his own penalty area when Hughes decided to be unselfish and allow Tom Marsden to score with a simple tap-in to seal a fully-warranted win for the Ammers.
AFC Emley manager Darren Hepworth:
“It was very disappointing because we just didn’t get going in the second half.
“I thought we moved the ball in the first half and we created three or four good chances.
“We got the penalty which was missed, but even without the penalty, we got ourselves in front.
“I’m disappointed with the way we conceded. Tom Rose was really positive and we didn’t close him down.
“In the end we ran out of ideas. Even at one-a-piece I thought it was one of those days.
“They are a bit of a bogey side as it has proven to be. I would have taken a point today.”
Yorkshire Amateur head coach Rick Addy:
“We started slowly in the first ten minutes, but we knew that with the formation that they play, if we stopped their full-backs from playing then we knew we had a enough in our squad to pull us through.
“I thought the midfield three matched them and more and we knew if we kept Max Leonard quiet then that would shut out of the supply.
“We talked about the basics and defending before the game because over the last three or four games we have been trying to overplay.
“I said before the game that if we do the basics and have to turn them then we’ll do that for the first quarter of an hour.
“I think we did well and for quarter of an hour we didn’t play, but we got the ball to the top two and with it running downhill it wasn’t sticking.
“In the second half obviously it was sticking a little bit. I thought we defended well and then took our chances.”
AFC Emley: Lawlor, Ingham, Starkey, Tunnacliffe, S Jerome, Brook (captain), Townend, Jordan (R Jerome 68), Kenworthy (Flynn 68), Leonard, Hallam (Claridge 74). Subs unused: Leech, Egemore.
Yorkshire Amateur: Bojang, Hammond, Carl Heard, Rose, Freeman (captain), Hitchings, Blakey, Fishley, Hughes, Craig Heard (Marsden 66), Donaldson (Shaw 83). Sub unused: Wadsworth.
Referee: Daniel Bennett (Bradford)
Ref Rating: 7/10
Attendance: 126
Man of the match: Tom Rose (Yorkshire Amateur)
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