Garforth 1 Rainworth MW 2

Rain supreme.....

Highlights can be seen on our Facebook page
A Mark Simpson equalizer wasn't enough to prevent Garforth falling to defeat to fourth from bottom Rainworth.

In truth Town deserved what they got, and only poor finishing from the battling visitors spared us from a heavier defeat.

It was yet another poor start for The Miners who, for the third time in four games, went behind in the first five minutes. Sam Leach's header back to Paul Hagreen was well short and fell straight to Rainworth's Matthew Sykes who sidefooted past the stranded keeper into the empty net. Further chances followed for the visitors - Jordan Claxton chipped onto the roof of the net before Declan Brewin put through Matthew Harris with only Hagreen to beat but his first touch let him down and Town recovered.

Garforth had struggled to get out of their own half, but were handed a route back into the game on 16 mins when Vincent Dhesi was brought down just inside the box after picking up Mitch Hamilton's deflected cross. Mark Simpson confidently sent Wrens keeper Ben Townsend the wrong way to level the scores.

There were protests from the visitors when Sykes was denied in the six yard box by a challenge from Leach after Hagreen had palmed away Brewin's shot, but were waved away by referee Luke Watson. Shortly after, efforts from Brewin and Claxton were denied by some last ditch defending.

Town struggled to keep hold of the ball throughout - and whilst we missed the aerial presence of injured Lee Turner up front - service to strikers Simpson and Hunter was lacking and captain Townsend in the Wrens' goal was rarely troubled. His team thought they'd taken the lead once again on the stroke of half time when Sykes slotted home at the back post Robert Ludlam's delivery, but the offside flag was raised.

Early in the second half Sykes got round his man on the edge of the box, but could only fire straight at Hagreen. On 55 mins there was a lengthy stoppage when both number threes - Garforth's Jamie Allsop and Rainworth's Connor Griffin went down injured on different parts of the field. Both players needed assistance off and were inevitably replaced, hopefully they'll both be back in action soon.

On 66 mins Ryan Donoghue was booked for a challenge on Brewin just outside the box, with the visitors arguing it should've been a red. Seven minutes later another free kick in a good position almost left Hagreen red-faced when Thomas Poole spotted the left side of the goal unguarded, but his strike went inches wide of the post. Another lucky escape for Town came on 79 mins when Sykes beat Simon Poole down the left and tried to find unmarked sub James Manson but there was too much on his cross and our defence cleared.

A rare Garforth attack on 80 mins saw Simpson denied by some good defending after great work by Hamilton, before Luke Mccrum stabbed the ball straight at Townsend from a long throw deep into the box. The visitors responded by finally grabbing the winner seven minutes from time. A corner kick drifted to Ryan Booker at the far post who's header looped into the far corner of the net.

Manson forced a good save from Hagreen on 86 mins, before our keeper was in on the action at the other end of the field moments later, heading Jake Rose's free kick wide of the target.

A deserved win for Rainworth which secured their Premier Division survival. A disappointing afternoon for the Miners where the only positive was the return of Adam Turner from injury. A season which promised a potential top-ten finish a few weeks ago looks to be petering out.

Town are next in action on Tuesday when free-scoring champions Cleethorpes Town are the visitors (kick-off 7:45pm).