Garforth 2 Stocksbridge PS 1

The visitors had a great chance to take an early lead when Corey Gregory stormed into the box and was about to pull the trigger but was denied by a superb challenge by Jassim Alali. On 16 mins Ben Hunter had to be alert, parrying a deep cross into the box and then doing well to save Lee Thompson's half-volley for a corner.

After a nervous start Garforth settled into the game and our first chance fell to Spencer Lund when he created space 20 yards out and fired just wide. Almost a first goal in a Town shirt for the midfielder which would surely have delighted his (and chairman Brian Close's?) newly-acquired fan club at the back of the stand!

Eight mins later Sinmi Oyebanji skipped past two men in the box and put in a cross which was parried by Steels keeper Sam Andrew but sadly to the feet of his defence. More good work by the Nigerian on 32 mins saw him pick out Curtly Martin-Wyatt at the far post who headed narrowly wide.

Martyn Scully's dangerous ball into the box caused problems for Hunter on 34 mins when put under challenge by Reece Littlejohn but luckily he couldn't make contact and the ball travelled wide.

As in the Penistone game Graham made a number of changes at half time. Sadly midfielder and sub Sam Clarkson couldn't make the impact he did back then, coming off injured after only two mins played. Let's hope he's back soon.

Stocksbridge will count themselves unlucky to not score more than they did after hitting the woodwork four times in the second half. The first came on 58 mins when Gregory's deflected free kick was tipped onto the crossbar by Hunter. In a flurry of chances for the visitors, from the resulting corner captain Lee Garside headed wide at the near post and six mins later a dangerous break forward a cross was put in to free sub Ben Rhodes but it was just behind him and he couldn't connect.

After this the game threatened to go a bit flat, but proceedings were livened up on 75 mins when the Miners took the lead. From a left wing corner, triallist Callum Pilkington's downward header was blocked by Andrew, the ball falling to Alali who smashed home.

The lead was to last only a minute however. In similar circumstances a free kick down the other end was parried by Hunter to Rhodes who tucked in the rebound. It was almost 2-1 to the visitors a couple of minutes later when Garside fired over from a narrow angle.

On 82 mins though it was that man again to give us the lead, although huge credit goes to Sam Jones for creating the goal. The midfielder made a determined run into the box, beating two men before supplying Martin-Wyatt to stroke the ball into the bottom corner.

The Town defence had to survive a few hairy moments to hang onto the lead, only a minute after the goal sub Jake Ellam's cross-cum-shot hit the crossbar and Thompson did the same seconds later with a header.

In a lively finish to the game Mark Simpson almost added a third five mins from time when racing clear of the defence with only Andrew to beat but the keeper got down well to turn his shot wide. Martin-Wyatt went close on 89 mins from Andy Hawksworth's cross, Andrew tipping his header over the bar.

Steels nearly equalised in the last kick of the game with a couple of chances, Hunter pulling off a great save to deny Louis Shaw's powerful strike then moments later palming a similar effort from Louis Shaw (?) onto the post.

Another good win for The Miners against Evo-Stik opposition. Town next in action on Wednesday at Worsbrough Bridge (kick-off 7:45pm).

Team: Ben Hunter, Joel Scott, Danny Harris, Daniel Monfredi, Simon Rogers, Jassim Alali (c), Spencer Lund, Ross Shelton, Curtly Martin-Wyatt, Mark Simpson, Sinmi Oyebanji. Subs (all used): Andy Hawksworth, Callum Pilkington, Sam Jones, Thomas Smith, Ashley Preece, Sam Clarkson, Tim Robertson.