Ilkley Town 0 Baildon Trinity 1

An astonishing goal on the hour by Baildon’s Scott Halliday settled a midweek game which was dominated by Ilkley Town.

They huffed and puffed for a goal throughout the 90 minutes but failed to break- down a resolute defence. Ilkley started the game brightly with both Adam Davey and Danny Henderson being stopped by last-ditch tackles.

James Winward worked tirelessly to gain possession in midfield, while Ben Dexter and Darren Munday stifled any Baildon attacking threat.

Ilkley ‘keeper James Hirst had little to do throughout the match and his only action in the first-half saw him stoop to gather a long-range effort from Radosovic.

The second-half followed the pattern of the first with Ilkley dominating possession and Baildon defending dogg- edly.

The visitors placed pressure on the Ilkley players all over the field, chasing and closing-down quickly, which on a hard surface was a good tactic as players took extra time to control the ball.

Then came Halliday’s moment of excellence or good fortune – depending from which standpoint you viewed it.

Either way he scored a remarkable goal when he dispossessed James Wilson just beyond the halfway line and five-yards in from the touchline before swinging his foot through the ball and firing a shot which flew goalwards before dipping over Hirst into the top corner of the net.

For the final 30 minutes, Ilkley battered Baildon but could not find a way through.

Adam Fowler rose high to head a bouncing ball over Matthew Aveyard but the ball drifted inches wide.

Davey and Henderson saw shots blocked on an evening when Ilkley ran out of luck.