Hollins boss hopes result will stand after abandonment

A well-contested, even game with few chances came to a sad conclusion 10 minutes early when a visiting player suffered a broken leg.

Parker said: “It was a freak injury - I think he fell over one of his own teammates.

“We’d like to wish the injured Barge player all the best. We didn’t get a chance to do so on Sunday.”

Experienced referee Ian Child had abandoned the game and indicated that the score was likely to stand with more than 75 minutes played.

Parker said Hollins would be happy with that. Both teams were in mid-table and Hollins didn’t want a re-arrangement.

After an even first half, the returning Eli Hey rounded the ‘keeper to open the scoring for Hollins just after the hour mark.

Barge equalised after a long ball from the ‘keeper, Patrick Maylett taking the ball round Rob Laycock in the home goal to score.

Second-placed Halifax Hammers failed to gain any ground on leaders Waiters Arms when they hosted a 2-2 draw in the Premier Division.

Top Club remain bottom, but put in another good performance in suffering a narrow defeat to third placed Feathers FC at Carr Green. The Rastrick side remain without a league point, but will be buoyed by an eventual 3-1 defeat against an in form opponent.

Old Pond again struggled to re-find their form from the back end of 2016, as they laboured to a 3-1 reversal against Ryburn United at Ripponden Wood in Division One of The Ziggys Metro Cars Halifax Sunday League.

A couple of cup fixtures against much higher ranked opponents followed by the Christmas break seem to have momentarily de-railed the Hove Edge side, although they did start brightly enough at the weekend.

A long ball from keeper Jason Kirby was flicked on impressively by Dan Barnes and making his first start for the club Lee Marshall was very cool in front of goal in sliding the ball into the corner of the net.

The home side then enjoyed a good spell, with Lewis Cockroft up top always a threat as he forced a good save from Kirby. The equaliser came with just ten minutes on the clock; Macauley Peacock struck home off the post to restore parity.

Pond were predominantly playing on the counter and went close when Lee Williams headed just over from a Michael Barlow corner, but the home side took the lead for the first time with sixteen minutes played. Matt Butterfield crafted a turn and shot that found the corner of Kirby’s goal.

Pond had opportunity to pull back level before the break but Marshall saw his effort gathered by Tom Sanderson who seemed a magnet to the ball in the Ryburn net.

Ten minutes into a largely scrappy second half and Peacock’s second of the game; a header from a Cockroft cross left Pond with work to do. They fashioned chances through Jamie Horsley and Hayden Lewis but again the strikes always seemed down the throat of the grateful Ryburn keeper.

Peacock was awarded the opportunity to grab a hat-trick in the dyeing moments

following a foul in the area by Dave Lawrence; but Kirby saved to his right and maintained the 3-1 scoreline until full time.

Elsewhere in Division One, leaders Halifax Hammers Reserves won 7-4 at rock-bottom Halifax Rangers, second-placed King Cross Park won 2-1 at Beehive and Crosskeys and Ryburn Valley thrashed Oddfellows 5-1.

In Division Two, North Bridge suffered a high scoring defeat against Halifax

Amateurs at Lane Head. Andy Blakey’s side fell to an entertaining 7-5 reversal and now face an uphill battle to finish in the top three with just one league match against champions elect Fountain Head remaining.

A Jos Lingard hat-trick was key to Amateurs victory, with Ben Helliwell and Stefan Drakes also netting a brace. For Bridge Mike Kirwan and Reese Fox would have expected to have finished on the winning side having both also netted twice, but the goals kept flowing with even more regularity at the other end. Captain Tom Hoodlass was also on the scoresheet for the home side.

One point from their remaining two matches should see Amateurs all but mathematically finishing in the last promotion spot.

Elsewhere in Division Two, Bradshaw beat Weavers 5-4.