Ryburn strike late to reach final four

Also through are Ealandians, who beat Illingworth St Mary’s by the same score at Elland Cricket Club.

It was a tight match at Ripponden Wood and visiting boss Craig Gee was left to reflect on his side’s poor defending at set pieces.

Ryburn drew first blood when Midgley failed to deal with a corner. The ball dropped to Adam Barlow and he struck it home.

Ryburn pressed hard for a second and Midgley were grateful to James Brookes for some brilliant saves.

The visitors got on terms through Michael Rigby at the back post and Rob Stansfield then hit the bar with a header.

Ryburn regained the lead in the second half when Midgley allowed goal machine Christian Silkstone to run in and head home another corner.

Midgley switched things around and Toby Standring got them on terms with 15 minutes left when he found himself in space on the left and sent a fine shot into the top corner.

However, Midgley failed to close down Richardson, whose low shot went through a crowd of players and into the net.

Yorkshire Amateur League champions Ealandians were missing a few key players and Halifax AFL fist division side Illingworth started on the front foot.

The hosts took the lead against the run of play following a poor clearance from Andrew Gregory.

Mark Heppinstall picked up the ball on the left and crossed for Glyn Haley, who mishit his shot but the ball trickled into the corner of the net,

Undeterred, Illingworth kept up the pressure and a great ball over the top by Luke Prosser enabled John Booth to knock the ball past the charging Lee McGrath.

Ealandians regained the lead when Wayne Crossley whipped a ball in from the touchline and Rab Langley shouted ‘keeper’s’, only for the ball to sail over his head and into the top corner.

The hosts extended their lead five minutes after the break from another poor clearance. This time Mark Heppenstall nipped past three defenders to smash the ball past Langley,

Illingworth’s never-say-die attitude came to the fore and they made it 3-2 with 20 minutes to go. Gareth Gaukroger got a foot to Phil Livsey’s free kick, giving the ‘keeper no chance.

It was end to end for the final 20 minutes and Ealandians’ decision to take off man of the match Dene Heppenstall might have backfired but they held on in a game well refereed by Steve Hoyle,

Two delayed second round ties were sorted out.

The long-awaited rematch between last season’s finalists Ovenden West Riding and Brighouse Town finished in a 3-2 win for the Hove Edge club’s development side.

They will now play Huddersfield Amateurs in the last eight at Old Earth on January 16.

Brighouse’s youthful squad were deserved winners against a lack lustre West Riding side, who had been inactive for more than three weeks,

Town opened the scoring on 20 minutes when Jack Normanton was put clear on the right and his angled finish proved too good for Chris Moroney,

West Riding nearly produced an equaliser on the half hour mark through Steve Fullard’s despairing lunge after Jordan Powell’s excellent centre.

However, they took the lead with goals in the 40th and 44th minutes.

Fullard was brought down in the area and Scott Eastwood struck home the penalty kick. Then Steve Senior got a touch to a Graham Hall long throw to give his side a rather fortunate interval lead.

The lead didn’t last long as Normanton raced through a gaping hole in West Riding’s defence and chipped Moroney.

Ovenden were still struggling to find any co-ordination and in the 70th minute Tom Robinson hit a superb 25 yard free kick into Moroney’s net to send Brighouse through.

There was the expected outcome to the battle of the two Halifax Irish sides with the West Riding County League side beating the struggling Halifax AFL Division One team 9-1 at West Vale.

Ely Hey (three), Matty Waller (two), Mat Jones, Chris Ellerby, Antony Brown and Damon Gledhill-Nichols netted for the firsts with Steve Mitchell replying.

The winners now tackle Brighouse Old Boys at Hipperholme and Lightcliffe School next month.