Bamford hits a hat-trick in Hollins Holme rout

“We didn’t play as well as we have been but we didn’t need to,” said manager Steve Parker.

It was Hollins’ third Premier Division win of the campaign and moved them up to sixth.

Bamford, who had missed plenty of chances for Midgley on Saturday, must have wondered if it was going to be one of those days when he hit the post inside 30 seconds.

The striker need not have worried, opening the scoring after 10 minutes with a first time finish into the bottom corner after being set up by Jake Allott.

Bamford doubled the lead 10 minutes later when he robbed a defender and side-footed past the ‘keeper.

Playing uphill in the second half, Hollins doubled their tally in the space of a couple of minutes close to the hour mark.

Bamford completed his hat-trick with a shot into the bottom corner and Joe Gibson paved the way for Dan Boyd to get the final goal.

The young home side held Hollins at bay after that.

Halifax Hammers beat highly-fancied Chapeltown Fforde Grene Combination from Leeds 5-2 in the County FA Sunday Cup third round in front of record crowd at Calderdale College.

Hammers’ goals came from Terriq Pervez (2), Lamin Jannah, Sameer Ahmed and Mohammad Ozair.

Elsewhere in the competition, Carrington thrashed Ryburn Valley 8-1 and Feathers lost 2-0 at Sandy Lane Sundays.

In the only First Division game of the weekend, Ryburn United beat rock-bottom Halifax Rangers 7-2.

In the West Riding Sunday Trophy Old Pond came up against a formidable hurdle in round three against a Linthwaite FC side ill-matched to the county wide second tier cup competition.

A side with a spattering of semi-pro personnel and averaging ten goals per game in their own Heavy Woollen Sunday League were held to just the three goal advantage approaching the half time whistle, but fired a quick fire hat-trick of further goals before the referee could signal the interval to put the match well out of sight of the Hove Edge side.

Pond weren’t without spirit and rattled the cross-bar on three separate occasions through Michael Barlow, Lee Williams and Hayden Lewis. Dan Barnes was also unlucky to see a 40 yard goal chalked off for an alleged push. As it was the Paddock Cricket Club based home side went on to record a deserved 11-0 victory despite being reduced to ten men in the last minute after an inexplicable head butt offence.

Linthwaite will take some stopping in the competition, whereas Pond manager Richard Dawson was pleased to have negotiated two rounds in conceding that the opponents on the day were a class or two above his charges.

Also in the Sunday Trophy, Waiters Arms, current leaders of the Premier Division, beat Salts Sunday 2-0.

North Bridge conspired to undo the rewards of their fine victory over Triangle last weekend, as they dropped points to previously point-less Halifax Rangers Reserves in Division Two of The Ziggys Metro Cars Halifax Sunday League.

Bridge raced into a two goal advantage via carbon copy breakaway goals from Reese Fox, but this led to an air of complacency in the Brighouse side’s ranks and allowed Rangers back into the match.

Another breakaway goal saw the score pegged back to 2-1, before a cross and goal- mouth scramble saw the match tied at the break.

Steven Priestley reaffirmed Bridge’s lead after the interval, but further poor defending saw Rangers march down the right, cut inside and curl home to once more restor parity.

The visitors then took the lead with just ten minutes remaining; keeper Andy Blakey saved an initial effort as Rangers broke two on one, but the rebound was popped into the back of the net.

The home side by their own manager’s admission barely deserved a late equaliser, but snaffled a leveller at the back post via Jamie Callaghan after a mis-hit shot fell invitingly at his feet.

Barge FC’s scheduled encounter with Queens Head at Rastrick High School was postponed.