Adey injury spoils Midgley ‘win’

The long-serving winger suffered a broken leg in a 50-50 challenge five minutes from the end as his side led 3-1.

The game was abandoned but the result looks likely to stand.

Adey, the game’s outstanding performer, broke his tibia and fibula but remained in good spirits throughout a lengthy wait for an ambulance.

Two eventually arrived and the one containing Adey got stuck in the mud at Luddenden Foot, requiring a tractor to pull it out.

Midgley boss Craig Gee thanked Calder and those who had helped to free the ambulance.

He said Adey hadn’t required surgery and he was backing the super-fit and ultra-determined player to make a full recovery.

Midgley lost centre back Joe Gibson in the warm-up and fell behind against the run of play, Jonny Gibson scoring for Calder.

However, a ball over the top provided an equaliser for George Bamford after ‘keeper Warren Clayton had hesitated.

Midgley came out with all guns blazing in the second half and Bamford missed chances.

The visitors eventually doubled their lead when Gav Fleming pulled back Bamford in the penalty area and Andrew Butterworth scored from the spot.

Bamford added Midgley’s third five minutes later when he intercepted a pass and raced through, smashing the ball home in impressive fashion from a narrow angle.

Steve Jones hit the bar for Calder and missed the ball completely when Remi Allen, back after a lengthy absence, left him with a close-range finish.

At the other end Clayton made several good saves and his defence, in which Karl Wooliscroft stood out, made some important blocks.

Two teams definitely through to the semi-finals are Shelf United and Warley Rangers, who both notched 4-2 away wins against fellow Premier Division sides.

Shelf United put one or two indifferent performances behind them to confirm their earlier superiority over Copley United.

The game at Savile Park kicked off 45 minutes late when the referee failed to appear but Mark Beard stood in at short notice.

Mark Hindle was particularly grateful - he scored a hat-trick for Shelf.

After a goalless opening 35 minutes, in which the home ‘keeper saved well from Danny Thornton and Billy Grogan, the experienced Hindle beat three defenders and nudged the ball past the advancing home keeper.

Hindle scrambled a second 10 minutes after the break but Gary Ash ran through to pull one back.

Oliver Coates made it 3-1 to Shelf with a first-time effort from the edge of the area which looped over the ‘keeper.

Ash showed his finishing power with his second but Hindle made the game safe 10 minutes from time from the penalty spot.

Jordan Trowell’s 35 yard thunderbolt sealed Warley Rangers passage at the expense of champions Ryburn United, who had pulled back to 2-3.

Ryburn took a deserved early lead when a long pass breached a static Warley defence and Alex Coborn raced clear to round the keeper and square to George Turner, who tapped in.

Rangers came to life and, spurred by man of the match Joe McGinley, were soon on terms. Damon Nicholls slid a pass through to the prolific Carlton Balmer, who smashed the ball home against a team he almost joined in the summer.

Suddenly Ryburn were on the back foot against Warley’s fast flowing football. It was no surprise when good work from Nicholls paved the way for Tom Hiley to lash a half volley into the top corner from 12 yards.

Rangers extended their lead when Balmer broke the offside trap and with keeper Ash Raynor in no man’s land he expertly lobbed his 20th goal of the season.

The second half was more of a battle with neither side creating many clear cut chances. Warley captain Chris Hall made an acrobatic clearance off the line as the long throws of Ashton Richardson provided Ryburn’s biggest threat.

With 20 minutes to go Ryburn grabbed a lifeline when Craig Smith hacked down Turner in the area and Carl Maguire stroked home the penalty. However, Trowell quickly knocked the stuffing out of the home side with his strike.

Northowram earned a home date with old Division One rivals Denholme United in the quarter finals after the pair had contrasting away victories in delayed second round games.

The in-form Rams, now in the Premier, overwhelmed a hapless AFC Crossleys side 12-0 while Denholme put some mixed results behind them with a 4-3 success away to Elland Allstars.

Mark Eade bagged five before half-time for Northowram against a Crossleys side which played a high defensive line and invited trouble against the pace of Chris Conroy and Alex O’Keefe.

They could have been three down in the opening 10 minutes and it was one-way traffic, Craig Gladwin having the hosts’ only chance of the half but side-footing straight at James Bunn.

It was 8-0 at half time, Eade’s handful of goals including a penalty and Conroy and O’Keefe (two) getting the others.

Four minutes after the break substitute James Fearnley scored with his first touch and the Rams moved into double figures when Danny Rushworth headed against the bar and cousin Matthew Rushworth completed the job from close range.

O’Keefe and Karl Amos added to the tally and Crossleys spurned a chance to get on the scoresheet when Jake Baker was harshly adjudged to have handled but the penalty attempt hit the foot of the post.

Denholme had to draft in a handful of second teamers for the trip to play Elland Allstars at Hullen Edge but came through 4-3.

They scored almost straight from the kick off, Matty Waring feeding winger Luke Dickenson, who chipped the ‘keeper.

The visitors continued to press and young Jack Harrison sprung the offside trap to double the lead.

Elland scored twice in five minutes early in the second half to get right back into it, the first after a goalkeeping error and the second as Denholme appealed in vain for offside.

Matthew Beney restored Denholme’s lead with a 30-yard free-kick and Adam Gill put more daylight between the teams after cutting in from the left and beating the ‘keeper at his near post.

Elland set up a tense finish with their third goal from a corner with five minutes left but Denholme were not to be denied.

Midgley United Reserves can look forward to an Invitation Cup final appearance after a 1-0 victory over St Columbas at Natty Lane on Saturday.

Boss Nick Farrar had 11 decent players but no substitutes on the morning of the game, due to the club’s lengthy injury list.

But he needn’t have worried as Midgley had the upper hand and stood firm throughout with ‘keeper James Brooks having a quiet afternoon.

James Balmforth missed several chances but managed to score the all-important goal.

Greetland made short work of bottom team Sowerby United in the only game to take place in the top section of the Haslem-Sheppard Halifax AFL on Saturday.

Greetland made it nine points in 15 days with a 7-1 success, Tom Wall and Niall Carrington scoring twice each.

The game between top three rivals Hebden Royd Red Star and Stump Cross was one of four games, out of 10 AFL league fixtures, to be called off due to a waterlogged pitch.

Volunteer Arms missed a chance to go second in Division One when they were beaten 2-1 at home by Salem.

It was only Arms’ second league defeat of the season but the warning signs were there - Salem were making it five wins from their last six matches.

Tyson Illingworth and Lee Worrall were on target for the visitors while Mark Kelsey scored for Volunteers.

Stainland United made it two league wins in eight days after failing to get off the mark in their opening nine contests.

Their 6-3 home success over Greetland Reserves was not unexpected, though, because Greetland are yet to pick up a point.

Gary Taylor did his best for Greetland with a hat-trick while Stainland had five different scorers, Chris Green bagging two.

A Gareth Gaukroger hat-trick helped Illingworth St Mary’s make it six wins out of six in Division Two with a 5-1 success away to Salem Reserves.

The league newcomers are only sixth in the table, however, having only played six league matches.

Northowram Reserves are just above them with three points more, having played twice as many games.

The Rams bounced back from a shock mauling by Salem to register a convincing 6-2 home derby win over Shelf United Reserves.

Shaun Popek got two of their goals while Paul Jack did the same for Shelf.

Sowerby United Reserves moved out of the bottom two with a 5-3 home success against neighbours Sowerby Bridge Reserves - only their second league win of the season.