Otley Town 6 Brighouse Old Boys 1

What a difference a week makes! After taking a battering from bottom club East End Park last Saturday, Otley Town responded in fine style by handing a 6-1 Premier Division defeat to Brighouse Old Boys.

Although Town were without the injured Toby Harris and suspended Josh Waite, they were able to field their strongest team for weeks and it soon told as they laid siege to the Brighouse goal.

Prompted by the quality passing of new signing James Evison, Otley played some lovely football on a surface that would only get worse as the game wore on.

Scott Cater was soon on the scoresheet following up to tap-in after the usually reliable Brighouse keeper fumbled.

Town were by far the best side in the opening quarter but when the second goal failed to come Brighouse saw their opportunity.

From their first meaningful attack they were rewarded with a penalty when home keeper Adam Connolly upended their striker.

The penalty was dispatched but it could have been worse had the referee chosen red rather than the yellow card for Connolly. Brighouse were marginally the better side for the remainder of the half and this prompted some harsh words from manager Dave Morris at the half-time interval.

Town came out firing again in the second half and when Scott Firth hit home the sweetest of volleys it should have been the cue for Town to kill the game off, but they took their foot off the pedal.

The next goal would be all important and it went to Town when Cater challenged the Brighouse keeper and laid on a sitter for Danny Forrest to give Otley a two -goal cushion. This time it was the sign for Town to up the tempo and to play with a confidence not seen in weeks.

A fourth goal was soon to come when man of the match Evison made a coruscating run into the box and shot.

The ball was probably on its way into the net but an alert Danny Chadwick made doubly sure from a yard out.

Town’s fifth came from a bad mistake in the visitors rearguard – Forrest nipping in to intercept a weak back pass and firing home.

Evison was the last on the scoresheet with a fine shot from the edge of the box – the deserved conclusion to a fine individual performance.

Also outstanding on the day for Town was Joe Currie back after injury. His presence palpably helped Jamie Simms and it was a credit to the whole back four that keeper Connolly had very little to do in the second half.

This Saturday Town make the journey to Oxenhope (2.00).

Pool Reserves 6 Otley Town Reserves 1

THE sticky pitch with the frost just coming out of the ground was not conducive to good football, however the two teams coped well in a closely-fought first half.

Pool took the lead via a good goal by Billy Drake, but Town were soon level courtesy of a penalty.

Pool took command in the second half as the battling Town side started to tire.

Further goals from Andy Graham, on his return from a seven-week injury lay off, Toby Rake, Harvey Atkinson, and a couple from substitute Tom Flemming, sealed Pool’s win.