ILKLEY Town survive a scare to win a West Yorkshire Challenge Cup tie 3-2 at Salts FC on a cold and wet Saturday afternoon.

Ilkley started the game brightly and broke the deadlock early on when Joe Garside’s drilled shot on the edge of the box from a free-kick hit the bottom-right corner to make the score 1-0 to the visitors.

Simon Armstrong’s men were dominating and doubled their lead when Tom Fleming dribbled his way past the Salts' defence before placing the ball past Matthew

Keen into the back of the net.

But Salts FC halved the deficit on the stroke of half-time when their No 9 found himself unmarked inside the penalty area and his shot flew into the bottom right corner despite Adam Montague-Miller getting his fingertips on the ball.

Salts FC carried that momentum into the second half and equalised when their No 8, Josh Eastwood, sprinted past the visitors’ defence before blasting the ball into the net.

Town changed tactics as Armstrong took off Joe Hendrie and Joe Garside off for James Turland and Ben Greenhow.

Ilkley kept possession better and Tom Smith restored their lead after good build-up play from the substitutes.

Fleming then hit the post and Salts came close to equalising but Montague-Miller showed good reflexes to make a crucial save.

EVAN SEAMAN