FC Headingley 2 Otley Town

8 Last year’s beaten finalists Otley Town underlined their determin- ation to go one better in this season’s West Riding County Challenge Cup with an emphatic win.

FC Headingley might have fancied their chances of halting their progress after knocking out Pool in the previous round, but they didn’t get a look in.

How wrong they would have been as Otley gradually came to terms with a poor pitch before stamping their mark on the match.

Headingley were up for the challenge and in the first ten minutes both sides put in strong tackles.

The picture changed once Town took the lead 26 minutes when Paul Harrison flighted a free kick in from the right and Rob Carr headed home.

Town increased the lead after 39 minutes when Chris Alderston controlled the ball on the edge of Headingley box and slipped a clever pass to top scorer Scott Cater who held off two strong tackles to score from 12 yards.

Just before half-time Town made it 3-0 when a through ball from Harrison found Joe Hendrie. He outpaced the defence before rounding the keeper and scoring.

Town extended their lead straight after the break when Alderston outpaced the home defence.

Town relaxed a little and Headingley pulled a goal back after 51 minutes.

That encouraged Otley to up the tempo and on the hour Alderston put Hendrie through to calmly lob the home keeper.

Hendrie completed his hat-trick when he slotted home a penalty after then Ben Greenhow was brought down in the box.

Headingley pulled a goal back before Fred Ash and Sam Dexter put the seal on the win. Hendrie was voted man of the match.