Yorkshire Amateur League: Wardman's double wins it for Medics
On a cold, rainy, horrible winter’s afternoon, Grangefield opened the scoring after a 14th-minute freekick found Andy Doogan who turned his defender brilliantly and slid the ball past the Medics’ keeper.
Icy rain, a vicious biting wind, and an intermittent floodlight failure didn’t affect the quality of this encounter and Medics finally netted an equaliser when a Hugh Godchild cross found an unmarked Kieran Wardman who levelled matters before the break.
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Hide AdThe deadlock was broken in the 67th minute through a second headed goal for Wardman after sub Jonathan Makela had delivered a mouth-watering cross.
Grangefield stay third in the table on 24 points from 11 games. The Medics sit fourth on 20 points.
Only two games survived in the Championship with leaders Gildersome Spurs Old Boys held to a 3-3 draw at home to fourth-placed Shire Academics.
Ben Freeman gave Shire the lead but Spurs struck back quickly with two sucker punches and went ahead 2-1 thanks to Anthony Wilson and Matt Jackson. Freeman added his second to enable the teams to go in at half-time level pegging.
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Hide AdIn the second period, Aidi McCormack put Spurs 3-2 up but Jordan Talbot had the final word as he rescued a point for Shire as he restored parity before the final whistle.
Spurs have 20 points and increased their lead at the top of the Championship to three points. Shire sit fourth on 16 points.
Second-placed St Bedes were also held to a 2-2 draw at home to Leeds City. Bedes took the lead after 20 minutes when Ben Shaw got on the end of a Sam Marshall corner after originally instigating the move that caught Leeds City napping.
Jermaine Moyce then notched an opportunist goal following a keeper error with Moyce only arriving back from South Africa at 7am on Saturday morning.
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Hide AdWith five minutes to play, Josh Standley bent a shot into the far corner to make it 2-1 and give Leeds City some hope.
City then drew level on 90 minutes when Marc Ware arrived like a steam train to ram the ball home and score a dramatic late equaliser. St Bedes sit second in the table on 17 points and Leeds City sit eighth on 10 points.
There were two games in Division Two, as Colton Athletic regained their lead at the top of the table by defeating third-to-bottom hosts Garforth Rangers 6-0.
Colton struck early when Chris Hick hit a fierce shot beating the Garforth goalkeeper on his near post. Soon afterwards, Garforth were reduced to 10 men and Colton scored their second on 35 minutes when Jordan Thackery tucked home a close range effort.
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Hide AdThe first of Jono Goodwin’s three goals came in the 49th minute when Hick played him in to make it 3-0. Goodwin’s second then came three minutes later. On 69 minutes Colton scored their fifth, with Joe Horner poking home from close range. A minute later, Goodwin got his deserved hat-trick.
Sandal Wanderers overcame Fairbank United 6-4. Fairbank went two goals down very early on and then raced 4-1 ahead before Junaid Ali was sent through to score his second and make it 4-2.
Sandal then went up the other end and hit two more before Fairbank managed to hit two more consolation goals, with Junaid Ali completing his hat-trick.
On the goal trail for Sandal were Jake Wassell with three, Will Oesterlein and Toby Rutter with two. Morley sit third.
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Hide AdIn Division Five, the Morley Town AFC Development Squad overcame second-bottom visitors Shire Academics 4ths 6-2 to move third.
Nathanial Hazell’s double was supported by strikes from Aidan Phillip, Ephraim Murray, Ky Pearson and Danny Holland for Morley as substitutes Adam Hakim and Mark Mignott – with a penalty – consoled Shire.