Eccleshill United 4 Glasshoughton Welfare 1

On a miserably wet autumn afternoon there was nothing but joy for Eccleshill United as two-goal Scott Price starred in a fine win over Glasshoughton Welfare.

The players trudged off at the final whistle like throwbacks from a 1970s rugby league game, covered in mud and almost unrecognisable but there was a marked difference between the two sets of players.

While the Castleford side had heads bowed, United's men had a spring in their step despite 90 minutes of energy-draining activity on a strength-sapping surface.

"It was a tremendous effort form the lads and Scott has done well," said manager Tony Brown. "He got to grips with the conditions and even revelled in them, his goals proved that."

United went behind to an early goal and most of the blame rests with keeper Craig Bates. He called for his defenders to leave a looping cross but stood rooted to the spot as Lee Parker drifted in front of him to head Glasshoughton in front in the eighth minute.

"It is par for the course. Giving away the first goal seems to be a regular thing," added Brown, who was delighted with his side's spirited and emphatic comeback.

"Craig was the first to acknowledge his mistake and the lads have got him out of jail a bit. But from then on we worked hard and I think the fitness levels of our players made the difference.

"Despite the score-line, we had to battle for this win but I think we deserved it."

Eccleshill trailed for less than two minutes. Former Bantams youth Ben Jones was on the end of a passing movement and he side-footed the equaliser from the centre of the area.

In the 34th minute, Paul Gelder was thwarted by visiting keeper Francis Wass but from the resulting corner, Matthew Morgan swung the ball to the near post and Justin Malone stabbed the ball into the roof of the net.

Just after the hour, Price drilled a shot in off the underside of the bar and he beat Wass again with just ten minutes to go with a dipping half volley from five yards outside the area.