Ryburn and Amateurs in final

Actions from Halifax Irish v Ryburn United, football, at West Vale. Irish keeper can't keep this free kick out of the net.

Ryburn got the better of Halifax Irish club by 5-4 on spot kicks after a 2-2 draw at West Vale while Amateurs beat derby rivals Ealandians 5-2 on penalties after a goalless draw at Old Earth, Elland.

Treble-bidding Halifax AFL side Ryburn took the lead against Irish through Adam Barlow’s fine free kick after half an hour.

Irish levelled from the penalty spot early in the second half but Ryburn quickly went back in front when good play down the right from the visitors enabled Christian Silkstone to fire under the ‘keeper.

The home side made it 2-2 in the closing stages of the 90 minutes with Ryburn appealing in vain that the ball had gone out of play in the build-up.

There were a couple of penalty appeals but no goals in normal time.

Ryburn were perfect from the penalty spot with substitute Jake Finch scoring the clincher after Matty Hirst had saved Irish’s third penalty.

In the Elland derby, the sides cancelled each other out with chances few and far between.

Ealandians had the lion’s share of possession in the first half but rarely threatened and the visitors needed their keeper to make excellent saves from Matty Parker and from a rasping drive from Jacob Driver.

Amateurs dominated in the second half and extra time without creating clear cut chances.

Both sides scored their first two penalties with James Parkinson and Matty Parker converting for the hosts.

When Tom Greenwood saved from Andy Hudson the advantage went to the Amateurs as Mike Hall then scored.

Ealandians then missed their next two penalties and Sam Halstead scored to take the Amas through to their first Halifax FAS Cup final since they lost to Ovenden WR in 2006.

The Halifax AFL’s management have made the following decisions:

Premier Division (December 19): Northowram 2 Mixenden United 1. Game abandoned. Result to stand with Mixenden warned as to their future conduct

Division One (February 13): Ryburn United Res 0 Sowerby United 0. Abandoned game to be replayed. Both clubs warned as to their future conduct

Division One (March 5): Ryburn United Res v Midgley United Res. Midgley failed to raise a team. Points awarded to Ryburn.

Division One (March 5): Elland Allstars 4 Salem 2. Allstars pleaded guilty to playing ineligible player. Points awarded to Salem.

Premier Division (March 12): Mixenden United v Holmfield. Holmfield failed to raise a team. Points awarded to Mixenden.