Yellows are well off the pace

Another hat-trick from Mike Garrod and a rocket from James Nanje-Ngoe gave the scoreline a rather flattering look. However for all our neat football we lacked the punch up front to beat a defence in which Silsden skipper James Nettleton was outstanding.

With Athletic still in a state of transition following the departure of the manager and all the players at the end of last season.We were unlucky not to have taken an early lead.

Matthew Moses slid in to deny Chris Jones in the second minute and then Athletic, prompted by Dave Berry and Lee Hodgkinson in midfield, put together a move of a dozen passes, but in the end it came to nothing.

A free kick from Andy Lee was half cleared and Lee’s follow-up was deflected for a corner. Danny McNulty sent over a superb corner, from which Danny Husband headed goalwards, Robert Flint clearing for another corner. Danny Bryan had a clear opening when he skipped past three defenders but he chose to cross rather than shoot and Martin Campbell gathered the effort with ease.

Athletic had a golden chance on fourteen minutes when James Rushton-Woods got between Husband and Cobbydalers’ keeper, Edward Hall. Rushton-Woods’ volley struck the bar and was cleared. Silsden responded immediately, Lee sending Ryan through, but Campbell was swiftly off his line to smother the ball at Ryan’s feet.

Ashton’s Helio Andre cut on from the left but his cross from close range flicked off Husband into the arms of Hall. Silsden immediately broke down the left. Hall threw the ball to Jake McEneaney at the edge of the box. McEneaney sped up the left, played a one-two with Ryan, before sliding the ball across the edge of Athletic’s penalty area. Lee dummied and GARROD drove it home.

Once again Helio Andre opened up the Silsden defence, when two players went for the same ball, leaving Chris Jones with a clear opening. Jones shot powerfully but Hall had got his angles right and saved confidently. Again Athletic were patient in their build up but they lacked a finisher, Dave Berry shooting wide. Silsden have a finisher in Garrod who is in the best form of his career. Two minutes before the break Garrod notched his second. Moses had broken up the right, and the ball was moved to Bryan who crossed low. Ryan was tackled but GARROD reacted swiftly to give Silsden a two goal cushion. Campbell denied Garrod a first-half hat-trick with a fine save, after the striker had latched onto Kevin Sanasy’s through ball.

Nanje–Ngoe, who had replaced McNulty at the break was soon in the action, breaking down the left. His accurate far-post cross was headed down by Lee for Ryan, who saw his shot smothered. Campbell also gathered Lee’s curling free kick before Robert Flint headed a good opportunity wide at the far post. The visitors did get the ball in the Silsden net but substitute, Michael Howarth, was offside.

Silsden’s attack then became disjointed, with passes failing to find their intended targets. Similarly, the visitors couldn’t deliver the final ball. Nettleton was supreme in cutting out any threat at all. Finally the Cobbydalers took charge. McEneany and Lee worked an opening for Bryan, who failed to gamble. Then a curling free kick from Sanasy was tipped over by Campbell. A far post cross by Moses found GARROD, unmarked at the far post. Three-nil and another hat-trick for the Silsden striker.

Garrod, Nanje-Ngoe and Ryan all had shots blocked before NANJE-NGOE cut across the box before unleashing a venomous shot into the roof of the Athletic net making the score 4-0. to complete a miserable afternoon for the yellows.