Hammers nail it in the second half

Halifax FA Cup holders Hammers, who had opened with a fine 3-0 win over Hollins Holme, ran out 8-2 away winners after the sides had been level shortly before the break.

The skilful visitors took the lead at Lane Head when a Mohammed Ozair cross was headed home by left back Jasim Salih.

Pond rallied and James Broadbent latched onto captain Joe Shaw’s through ball to finish well, only for Lamin Janneh to restore Hammers’ lead after goalmouth scramble.

Broadbent took advantage of a mix up in the Hammers defence for 2-2 but on 44 minutes right back Ahsan Farooq scored a cracker to give the visitors a 3-2 interval lead.

Pond started on the front foot in the second period and Broadbent might have scored two more but Hammers then moved through the gears with Ozair and Matthew Waller a constant menace with their pace and skill.

Waller scored on an acute angle after a mazy run; Ozair made it 5-2 after neat team move; Farooq scored his second with a powerful shot into the top corner; and there was a late cameo from substitute Hussain Farooq, who netted twice.

Hammers are playing catch up with champions Carrington, who already have 15 points on the board after a 6-3 win over Waiters Arms in a game that was in the balance for 80 minutes.

Visitors Waiters started the better and took the lead when David Chappell raced clear to score.

Jordan Coduri levelled with a neat lob before Jay Carney nipped in to give them the lead.

The game was very open and both sides wasted good opportunities but a goal from Lee Albion just before the break gave Waiters a deserved equaliser.

The home side came out of the blocks strongly after half-time and goals from Carney and Coduri gave them a bit of breathing space but they were pegged back when Chappell pounced on a mistake to grab his second.

Coduri then finished off a good move to complete his hat-trick and restore the two-goal cushion.

Billy Grogan blazed a penalty over the bar for Waiters and with 10 minutes to go Carney burst into the box to seal his hat-trick and secure the points.

Hollins Holme and Lee Mount drew 4-4, the dismissal of the visitors’ Jordan Ryder opening the door for the injury-ravaged home side to snatch a point.

Mount went 2-0 up inside 25 minutes. Jordan Dean pulled back after the ball had ricochetted around in the box and Steve Senior set up Toby Standring to equalise from the edge of the area.

Lee Mount scored twice more in the earlier stages of the second half - Callum Meade completing a hat-trick.

However, Ryder got his marching orders for a second bookable offence.

Jamie Gwilliam tapped the ball in from a Dean cross with 15 minutes to go and Andrew Butterworth, pushed forward, equalised after good work from James Chadwick and Dean.

Promoted Top Club are finding points hard to come by and lost 5-1 to Bowling Green while Mount Tabor maintained their promising start with a 3-2 win at Ryburn United.

Barge FC got back to winning ways in Division One with a 3-1 defeat of Oddfellows.

Man of the match Andy Salm, Mike Woffenden and Jamie Cartledge scored for Matthew Bagshaw’s side while Oddfellows were resolute in defence.

Beehive and Cross Keys lead the middle section after a 4-0 win away to Royd Club while Ryburn Valley added to Bradshaw’s early-season woes with a 10-0 away win.

Halifax Rangers made in four wins out of four in Division Two, coming from behind to win 4-2 away to Weavers.

The home side struck the first blow when Andy Roberts converted a right-wing cross after 19 minute but David Oakes ran on to a ball over the top to lashed it past Weavers keeper Pete Webster five minutes later.

Webster made two excellent saves from Oakes to keep the scores level at the break.

The game was turned on its head within five minutes of the second period.

Weavers skipper Simon Newbitt was caught in possession just inside his own half and Sean Byrne showed a clean pair of heels before beating Webster with an exquisite lob.

Two minutes later Grant Metcalfe’s sublime finish into the roof of the net from 25 yards put the visitors well in command.

Weavers’ Andy Roberts scored with an acrobatic overhead kick into the roof of the net with four minutes left but Rangers sub Tommy Metcalfe was upended in the box and the veteran dusted himself down to convert the penalty.

In the closing moments a fingertip save from Parry denied Weavers, who also had a Roberts free-kick headed off the line by Rangers captain Andy Bowe.

King Cross Park made it three straight wins with a 5-1 success over Top Club Reserves at Savile Park.

Ryan Collins was amongst the goals as Crown FC defeated North Bridge Reserves 4-2 at Rastrick High School.

St Columbas gained their second victory of the season with a 3-1 victory over Ovenden Phoenix.

They started strongly and went ahead through midfielder Tom Rollins following a great corner delivery from George Haigh-Gill.

Striker Adam Knapton doubled the lead soon after.

Phoenix were disrupted by a serious facial injury to their ‘keeper but losing a man galvanised them and they pulled a goal back before half-time.

They started the second half strongly too and it took a great goalline clearance from Connor Bottomley and the safety of a third goal from Josh Miller following good work by Tom McAndrew and Tom Howse to see Saints home.

Halifax Hammers Reserves beat Halifax Amateurs 7-1 with a hat-trick from captain Wajid Nawaz, two from Suhail Bashir and others from Usman Khan and Awais Ashfaq.