Impressive Stump rout Irish

A close match was expected against the West Riding CA top-flight side but Halifax AFL pace setters Stump never looked back after scoring twice early on.

A penalty from striker Damien Watkins and a long-range screamer from Adam Barlow gave the home side their flying start.

Good work from midfield duo Martin Ayscough and Matthew Brennan helped Stump boss the first half but Irish hopes were raised when Callum Meade pulled one back before the break.

Stump extended their lead when Kai Hadley sneaked in at the back post after the ‘keeper had fumbled a Liam Brompton free kick.

Meade’s second kept Irish in the hunt but Watkins broke the offside trap and finished neatly into the corner from the edge of the box.

Tom Robinson got in on the act with a right footed drive and with Irish now running on empty, a quality chip from Tom Hiley made it a rout.

Illingworth St Mary’s showed they are wolves wearing sheep’s clothing by springing the shock of the round.

The league newcomers have been scoring plenty of goals in Division Two of the AFL and the took a step up in class in their stride by winning 2-0 away to Premier side Greetland.

Elland United and Sowerby United were other Premier teams beaten by lower division opposition.

Elland crashed 7-2 away to Sowerby Bridge, who were boosted by two goals apiece from Lee Wood and Martin Bates.

Sowerby lost 4-3 away to Volunteer Arms after racing into a 2-0 lead inside five minutes with goals from Ben Attle and Lee Barber.

It soon went wrong for the visitors, despite Matt Bridges saving a Volunteer penalty.

The home side scored three times in a 10 minute spell before the break, one coming from keeper Davey Whitehead whose kick in the strong wind bounced over everyone.

Mark Kelsey and Luke Oldridge also hit the target for Volunteer before Attle got his second to draw Sowerby level.

However, Kelsey struck late on to give Volunteer victory.

Holders Ovenden West Riding repeated last year’s success against Ryburn United but had to pull out all the stops to register a 3-2 away victory.

Halifax Irish Club aside, it was a good day for the non-Halifax AFL sides with Yorkshire Amateur League pair Huddersfield Amateurs and Ealandians and West Yorkshire League side Brighouse Old Boys making progress.

Amateurs beat Halifax AFL Premier side Copley United by 3-1 at Savile Park in blustery conditions.

They opened the scoring after 25 minutes when skipper Matty Oldfield fired home following a corner.

Michael Priestley equalised after 55 minutes and for a short period Copley had the upper hand.

With 20 minutes to go the visitors from Elland regained the lead when Jacob Travis poked the ball home from a corner and shortly afterwards substitute Dave Woffenden lobbed the ‘keeper.

Ealandians could be real dark horses and the side from Elland Cricket Club breezed past derby hosts Elland Allstars 8-2. Goals from Connor Bell and Ash Smith provided the crumbs of comfort for the hosts.

Brighouse Old Boys had a bit too much class for AFL Division Two hosts St Columbas and moved through 4-1.

Shelf United made short work of Halifax Irish Centre, taking a 3-0 lead down the Shelf Park slope en route to an 8-0 win.

Danny Thornton scrambled the opener following a long throw; Billy Grogan doubled the lead with a deflected shot; and Adie Balding ran on to a through ball to put more daylight between the sides.

Shelf were slow to start the second half but then kept adding to their tally with two goals from Craig Fletcher, a second from Grogan and others from Jamie Moorhouse and Oliver Coates.

Warley Rangers’ Carlton Balmer scored six in an 8-3 win over Salem.

Rangers had struggled to overcome the same opponents away in the Challenge Cup three weeks earlier but were ruthless in the first half, surging into a 5-0 lead.

Tom Hiley flicking home the opener and Balmer’s shot through a crowd of players went in via a post.

With Salem’s confidence ebbing away, Balmer latched onto Brandon Gilling’s through ball and rounded the keeper before walking the ball in.

Paul Kendall and Luke Butterworth hit the woodwork for Warley while Scott Fieldhouse blazed a penalty over the bar for Salem.

Balmer showed electric pace to complete his hat-trick and then added an audacious strike from 30 yards with the outside of his foot into the top corner.

Tyson Illingworth pulled one back from the spot after the break but Balmer added his fifth with a penalty.

Chris Bateman headed Salem’s second from a corner kick before substitute Damon Nicholls broke the offside trap to lash in Warley’s seventh.

Nicholls hit the bar from distance, Scott Fieldhouse headed Salem’s third from close and Balmer had the final say with a rasping volley.

Midgley United got back to winning ways at the expense of visitors Brighouse Sports from two divisions lower.

Toby Standring and James Adey set up George Bamford for the opener on 15 minutes and Bamforth doubled the lead from Jason Cartlidge’s through ball before the break.

Ian Hudson side-stepped the Brighouse keeper to make it 3-0 and Bamford completed his hat-trick from an acute angle before the visitors got one back for a 4-1 final scoreline.

Calder ‘76 were relieved to hear the final whistle away to underdogs West Central, going through 5-4.

Calder recovered from an early Karl Wooliscroft own goal to lead 5-2 with the help of a Jon Gibson hat-trick and others from Steve Jones and the hard-working Max Crossley.

The visitors missed a string of chances on the 3G at Calderdale College and West Central scored twice in quick succession entering the final 10 minutes and had chances to take the game to extra time.

Lewis Cockroft got the goals as Hebden Royd Red Star overcame a potential banana skin at home to Division One leaders Holmfield, winning 2-0.

Michael Midgley scored five goals and Danny Moralee three as Denholme United crushed visitors Greetland Reserves 9-1 in Division One of the Halifax AFL.

It was Greetland’s seventh straight league defeat since the start of the season.

Moralee was keen to impress three relatives playing for Greetland, including his uncle Chris who scored the visitors’ goal.

He obliged with a hat-trick in the opening 20 minutes before pulling his hamstring.

It then became the Midgley show as Denholme extended their 5-1 interval lead.

Stainland United are also yet to get off the mark, losing 4-0 at home to a Midgley United Reserves side who had Sam Tattersall (two), James Balmforth and centre back Simon Kavanagh were on target in the second half.

Young striker Tattersall impressed again for Midgley but the visitors’ man of the match was keeper James Brook, who thwarted Stainland three times in one-on-one situations.

Ash Shaw got the only goal of the game as Ryburn United Reserves won away to Calder ‘76 Reserves.

Andrew Brunning scored twice as AFC Crossleys Reserves gained their first win of the season in Division Two with a 4-1 win away to their Salem counterparts.

Sowerby United Reserves are yet to win but picked up a second point of the campaign in a 3-3 home draw against Hebden Royd Red Star Reserves. Sean Broadbent bagged a brace for the visitors.

Shelf FC cut Brighouse Sports’ lead to one point in a derby mismatch against Shelf United Reserves, winning 10-0.

Northowram Reserves continued their decent start by hitting back from 2-0 down to beat Sowerby Bridge Reserves 4-3.

Chad Griffiths missed a penalty but Brett Abson’s two goals helped to tip the scales the Rams’ way.