Waiters end long cup wait

They could only muster 10 men but started well with Kev Talbot keeping both Ryburn centre backs occupied with his lung bursting runs.

He should have given Waiters the lead after 20 minutes when put through by Adam Fenton but somehow slipped the ball wide.

It was a midfield stalemate pretty much up to half time with Jake Finch of Ryburn and Lee Wood from Waiters battling it out but it took a fine save from Richardson to deny Oriol Strophair.

The lack of goalmouth action continued until just after the hour mark when Dean Park opened the scoring in super style from a Ryburn corner.

He headed to the edge of the area, chased the ball down and then dribbled the length of the field, beating several opponents before nonchalantly firing past Lewis Scott.

Waiters captain Oliver Brierley and James Severn kept Ryburn at bay and Waiters doubled their advantage with another break away goal, Talbot and Wood combining before the mercurial Marco Romano bundled the ball over the line.

A cross cum shot from Ryburn veteran Craig Jennings went close and Talbot missing a glorious chance for Waiters in the last minute.

Kain Forbes was best for Ryburn in a game well officiated by Mick Denton.

Boss Fenton praised his battling 10 players and promised that those who stayed in bed would receive “the full hairdryer treatment” on their return!

Mount Tabor must have been relieved to go through 3-2 against a battling St Columbas side from two divisions lower at Natty Lane.

They had only 10 men for the first half and fell behind after 30 minutes when good work from Jordan Winter at a short corner led to Tom McAndrew prodding the ball home.

Mount Tabor missed chances and their second half pressure finally told with two goals in quick succession around the hour mark.

When Mount Tabor added a fine third it looked all over but Ahmad Yehyah took advantage of an error by the home keeper with five minutes left.

Saints so nearly made it 3-3 in the closing seconds when the keeper made amends by getting his fingertips to an effort from centre back Kev O’Neill, pushing the ball onto the bar.

The Halifax Sunday League Division One match between Beehive and Cross keys and Ryburn Valley was abandoned after 15 minutes when a home player suffered a serious knee injury.

There was no score in the game at Savile Park.

Ovenden BC joined second-placed Barge on 19 points with a 4-2 success away to Hens Face, who remain third from bottom.

Halifax Rangers returned to winning ways with a 5-3 win at Halifax Amateurs in Division Two, avenging a 3-1 loss last month.

They hit the home side with five first half goals after Chris Bairstow had got the better of Rangers skipper James Forsyth to give Amateurs an early lead.

Aiden Hill equalised following a corner and ace marksman Sean Byrne put the visitors ahead with a tap in.

After some fine link-up play, Byrne fired in his second with only 15 minutes on the clock.

Rangers played some of their best football for a while and went 4-1 up when Grant Metcalfe’s free-kick was touched home by Damo Parry.

Just before the break, Byrne completed his hat-trick with the goal of the game, taking down Howard Metcalfe’s exquisite ball over the top before putting it out of the reach of keeper Ryan West.

Rangers slackened off to allow Amateurs two early second half goals through Bairstow and Richard Battye’s lob. But they made no further headway.

Also in Division Two, Halifax Hammers Reserves took a four point lead at the top with a 6-0 win away to Ovenden Phoenix.

North Bridge Reserves picked up only their fourth point of the season in a 3-3 home draw with Weavers but remain bottom on goal difference from Ovenden.