Rainworth MW 4-2 Garforth Town

As well as a debut for Mick Jones at centre back, new assistant manager Rob Hunter finally made his first appearance since joining the Miners a few weeks ago. Chris Simpkins started on his return to the club in place of the suspended Tim Robertson.
Javen Benjamin and Tom Osbourne joined Khalid Alali, Jordan Outerbridge and Alex Jones on the bench.

Rainworth started the game brighter. Matty Sykes struck the Garforth post early on and as the ball eventually broke to Matt Thompson on the edge of the box, he could only scuff his effort straight at Ben Hunter.

Garforth stunned their hosts on twenty nine minutes when Curtly Martin-Wyatt barged his way through the Wrens back line and was rewarded for his determination with the opening goal.
Ashley Preece then saw a sighter sail over Sam Leighs' crossbar before Rainworth went back on the offensive. Hunter tipped a low drive round the post, but could do nothing when marauding left-back Connor Smythe ghosted past Sinmi Oyebanji and Jassim Alali before scrambling the ball home from close range two minutes before the break.

Hopefully Adie Costello and Hunter hadn't ripped up their half time team talk notes, as Mick Jones powered Garforth back into the lead with a thumping header.

It took Sykes just five minutes from the restart to level the score once again, with almost a carbon copy of Jones' header.
Rainworth then went on to take the lead on sixty minutes when Smythe hit a low shot into Hunters far post.

Both teams went searching for that next all-important goal. Although Hunter was the busier keeper, making two or three fine saves in the process, Martin-Wyatt saw a glorious chance to equalise go begging. Oyebanji swung a free-kick into the Rainworth box and Garforths' top scorer rose to meet it, only to see his downward header bounce over as Leigh was floundering on his backside.

Sykes grabbed the decisive goal three minutes from time when his fierce shot beat Hunter despite the keeper getting a palm to it.

Although the stats don't lie and Rainworth had the majority of chances, this was another improved performance from Garforth against a team that perhaps should be higher in the league than their current standing of ninth.