Sports fightback stuns Star

They were 2-0 down to goals from Dan Lumb after an hour but Connor Durkin scored twice to get them on terms.

James Rawlinson’s header nudged Star back in front but Durkin completed his hat-trick and Josh Robinson, who turned 17 last week, started and finished the move which brought Brighouse a winner four minutes from time.

Visiting boss Garry West hailed “an excellent team performance” from his players.

“We haven’t done as well this season as in the last two so this is a nice boost,” he said.

Red Star player-manager Chris Garbutt blamed himself for the defeat, his side losing momentum after three early substitutions with the score 2-0.

Brighouse will be away to Greetland, 5-2 winners away to Shelf United, in the quarter finals on January 21.

Following Ealandians’ expulsion from the competition for playing an unregistered player against reinstated Ryburn last month, there is only one non-Halifax AFL team left in the competition.

That is West Yorkshire League side Huddersfield Amateurs, who won 6-3 at home to a Calder ‘76 side who had only six men with 45 minutes to kick off.

Calder boss Ron Kenworthy managed to cobble together 11 players, including Tom Jones, who took the goalkeeping gloves having not played for three years and never in that position.

James Jackson, Jason Salih and Matt Skinner all made their first starts of the season for the visitors.

Jones was beaten by a 40 yard shot after 10 minutes and then punched the ball from a cross straight on to a striker’s head to enable the Elland side to establish a 2-0 lead.

The keeper could do little to prevent being beaten twice more before half time.

When Andrew Wadsworth retired with a hamstring injury after 50 minutes and Amateurs scored a fifth, Calder were down to 10 men and fearing a real hiding.

However, they adopted a “nothing to lose” attitude and with Jones starting to excel in his new role and established strike pair Remi Allen and Rick Topham linking well, they hit back.

Allen and Topham each scored and although Amateurs got a sixth, Topham’s second made the score more respectable.

Amateurs are away to Ryburn next.

Sowerby United overcame a potential banana skin when they beat Division two leaders Ivy House 3-2.

It was far from plain sailing, Ivy House striking first when Isaac Nichol scored from the penalty spot.

Ivy House held the lead to the break and rocked Sowerby with a second Nichol goal 30 minutes from time.

Sowerby pulled one back within a minute when Corey Henderson raced into the box to fire home.

This was the start of a Sowerby onslaught with Ivy House being pushed back deeper and deeper before Rory Thickett levelled.

The winner came when Harvey Walsh rounded his man, was tripped and Dan Crosland converted from the spot.

Sowerby will have a home derby against Sowerby Bridge, who won 3-2 away to Division One title rivals Shelf FC with the help of two goals from Tom Hiley.

Midgley United earned a trip to fellow Halifax AFL top four side Warley Rangers with a second knockout competition win of the season by a one-goal margin against St Columbas from two divisions lower.

The first half was goalless with Midgley wasting chances. Saints, for whom keeper Macauley Richardson was handling well, found their feet towards the end of the 45 minutes.

A good finish from Ryan Jeffries gave Midgley the lead after 55 minutes and Toby Standring’s fine pass set up George Bamford for a second 10 minutes later.

When Martin Woodhouse went through one-on-one with the ‘keeper and made it 3-0 it looked all over.

However, plucky Saints scored twice from corners to give the visitors an anxious last few minutes.

Ben Caldwell headed the first and George Cook poked home the second.