Garforth Town 0-4 Athersley Rec

The visitors were a good side, whilst Garforth managed to make football look like an extremely complicated game to play.

Athersley started the game on the front foot with a few balls into the box potentially causing problems. One deflected off Luke McCrum onto the post, but for a split second looked like it could have ended up anywhere, in what was a nervous early moment.

Garforth got going around the 10 minute mark, as Lee Turner spread the play to Luke Kitson. The left back whipped in a great ball, but Mark Simpson's shot was timid and straight at the keeper.

Athersley took the lead on 14 minutes as Danny Cawley dribbled through the Town defence. His shot from outside the box crept past Stephen Weatherill and found the bottom corner to the keeper's right.

Garforth looked to erase the deficit, and Simpson ran down the left hand side of the box, but his left footed shot went wide. Two minutes later Jamie Reeson hit a half-volley on the turn, the difficult shot going off target.

Garforth's next chance came when they won a corner, as Simpson got on the end of a long ball from Josh Dacre, before his cross was blocked. The corner was cleared, but the ball came back into the area, and Reeson went wide.

After 28 minutes, as Athersley were continuing to play good football, a deep cross had to be caught by Weatherill.

Garforth were also looking to get balls in the box, and Kitson put in a delivery after beating Athersley captain Ryan White. His deep ball was met by an attacker, but only went behind for a goal kick.

The away side had the last genuine opportunity of the first half, with Weatherill saving an attempt aimed at the bottom corner of his goal.

Garforth hadn't played well for the majority of the first half but looked to start the next period in better fashion. They had a great opportunity to equalise when Lee Turner played through Simpson, who rounded the goalkeeper but could only sidefoot the ball wide.

On 57 minutes, an Athersley corner led to a chance, and Kitson had to make a block on the line. The follow up shot was turned around for another corner.

Six minutes later James Beaston had made a run forward and from a tight angle his effort was inadvertently blocked by his own teammate!

Athersley had another chance as Weatherill came out of his goal to clear a ball, but it ended up in White's path, and the captain had a first time effort from distance which fell wide of the post. Two minutes after they had another shot which went over.

Next, Ryan Donoghue - playing out of position at right back on the night - put in a great cross which was headed first by Turner, but the ball quickly deflected off the defender's head to go behind for a corner.

Athersley doubled their lead on 73 minutes. An attacker ran in on the left of the box, and Weatherill made a save, but the opposition players followed it through and Jack Briscoe was the one to convert.

The visitors continued to build momentum in the closing stages, and made it three on 79 minutes. Cawley beat Dacre and then ran past Weatherill before slotting home.

Next, an Athersley attacker on the right wing dribbled past several Garforth players with seeming ease, before being brought down for a free kick. Lee Garside stepped up to take it, and struck the ball ferociously. It beat the wall and Weatherill, ending up in the back of the net to complete the scoring in style.

Garforth's last few chances were poorly executed as the team's frustration began to become apparent. After four minutes of stoppage time, the referee put Town out of their misery and blew for full time.

Garforth will put the 4-0 defeat down to a bad day at the office, and will look to get back on track in Saturday's home game against Hall Road Rangers.

By Samuel Bannister