Toolstation Northern Counties East League - Premier Division: Albion Sports 3 Garforth Town 0

ALBION Sports banked a maximum in their first game of the new Toolstation Northern Counties East League season with a comfortable win over near neighbours Garforth Town.

The Lions broke the deadlock minutes after the half-hour mark through Omar Habeeb, and that proved to be the only goal of the first period.

Two goals inside the last ten minutes gave Albion their big win.

Substitute Redmond Lee rounded the visiting keeper before slotting in the Lions’ second and he was denied a third by an offside flag as he netted after Danny Facey had played him through.

However, Facey chipped the keeper from distance with five minutes remaining to leave the Albion boss Kulwinder Sandhu delighted.

He said: “It was a tough game, a real derby but we managed to get the goals when it mattered.

“Danny has scored in every game that he’s played since coming back off his holidays and having an operation on his hand.

"He missed the early pre-season but he scored in our last friendly, last Saturday in the FA Cup and then here against Garforth, so he’s hit the ground running.

“Omar has scored in the last two games, so he deserves a mention as well, and so does our defence after keeping clean sheets in the two competitive games so far.

"We need to take this form into Saturday’s league game at Staveley now.”

It was not a good night for rivals Thackley though as they slumped to a 4-1 defeat at Handsworth Parramore.

The Dennyboys had been knocked out of the FA Cup by a sucker punch at the weekend, losing 4-3 at home to Harrogate Railway Athletic, but they weren’t in last night’s league game.

The home side opened up a 3-0 lead in quick time as Simon Harrison opened the scoring in the second minute, with Jonathan Hill and Aaron Moxam adding goals before the midway point of the first half.

Kristian Hargreaves pegged one back for the Dennyboys before half-time but Moxam restored Handsworth’s three-goal advantage two minutes from time.