Sunday League: FC Panda win battle of last season's top two

Two goals from Dave Chappell and another from James Waggot weren’t enough for Waiters, as a brace by Khurram Shazad and one apiece for Terriq Pervez, Ibrar Farooq and Hasan Jamil earned Panda their fourth league win in five games in an entertaining encounter on Trinity 3G.

Panda took the lead when Pervez slotted home after racing clear but Waggett equalised with a header from a corner.

Panda retook the lead when Pervez scored from a tight angle, but Chappell notched straight after the break to level things up only for Shazzad to score a fortunate free kick with the aid of a deflection off Waiters Dan Crosland.

Waiters gained parity with 20 minutes to go when Chappell raced clear and slotted into the top corner and then went on to miss a couple of great chances that were well saved by Panda’s Yasser Mohammed.

This was to cost Waiters as some sloppy defending from a short corner allowed Shazzad to rifle a great strike into the top corner and with Waiters pushing on to get an equalizer they were hit with a sucker punch in the last minute with Pervez completing the scoring.

Goals from Carlton Balmer, Damon Nichols and Jake Thompson earned Siddal Place a fine 3-2 win at previously unbeaten Feathers.

Cameron Tyer’s goal was scant consolation for Ryburn United, who lost 6-1 at Bradshaw.

Woodhouse FC lost 4-2 away to Briggs Priestley Halifax Sunday League Division One leaders FC Panda Reserves in the third meeting between the sides already this season.

Panda have now won two league meetings while Woodhouse won 4-1 in the Halifax FA Sunday Cup.

A minute’s silence was observed to mark the anniversary of Armistice Day before the kick off and Woodhouse’s players wore black poppy armbands.

The last three weeks have been tough for Panda Reserves, with four or five regulars missing through injury, and going out in three cups, but the maintained their 100 per cent league record with this win.

The visitors got a dream start, taking the lead inside 15 minutes when Luke Simmonds, Adam Gray and Keenan Fielden combined to set up Joe Connor, who smashed the ball home.

The lead was short lived as a Panda free-kick evaded Jack Naylor.

Panda scored another via a Gavin Higgins deflection and added a third just before the break.

Woodhouse hit straight back after half time. A long ball from Connor found substitute Jim Crowther, who cheekily chipped the ‘keeper.

When Jay Connor was fouled in the box, Crowther’s penalty was saved.

That proved the crucial piece of action as Panda added a fourth in the last 10 minutes through Sohail Bashir.

Second-placed Cock & Bottle remain three points behind Panda Res after a 7-1 win at Thrum Hall.

Gareth Sherwood opened the scoring from the spot after Damo Randall was taken down.

Thrum Hall equalised mid way through first half but Cock and Bottle regained the lead just before half time with Zak Waddington firing home.

Cock and Bottle were quick out of the traps in the second half, as Josh Miller and Randall scored within 10 minutes of the restart.

Josh Miller grabbed his second of the game, before a debut goal from new signing Leon Hurles-Brook, who nicely lobbed the goal keeper from 20 yards with outside of left foot.

Man of the match Randall completed the scoring five minutes from time.

Old Pond suffered back to back defeats as a lacklustre first half performance led to them losing 8-5 at King Cross Park.

A shot from the right flank saw the hosts take a ninth minute lead and when Sam

Dunkley tapped in just two minutes later the Hove Edge visitors were already on the rack.

Dunkley got his second on the overlap and when a fourth went in off the post with

only twenty minutes on the clock a tactical switch was needed for Pond.

It drew dividends as within a minute Paul Taylor’s side had a goal back; Jamie Clay swung in an inviting ball and Greg Roper continued his good recent goalscoring form by heading home.

Pond failed to clear their lines at the other end so the respite was momentary; left

winger Bailie Horsley took advantage of hesitation to clear and forced home an

overhead effort from close range.

Further goals were traded in an action packed first period as first Jack Normanton

swept home for Park, before a Josh Van Gestel cross was bulleted home from the head of Ben Ireland.

Pond grabbed another goal back when Ireland’s centre was fired into the roof of the net by Clay.

But Park netted twice more; man of the match Normanton with the second.

Van Gesten went on to create a hat-trick of assists as he first centred for Clay to head home his second, before providing for Wayne Allert to nod home amidst a chaotic melee of players.

Elsewhere, Triangle beat Barum Top 2-1.