Ilkley Reserves 5, Harlow Hill 1

Following some indifferent form and results Guyson sponsored Ilkley AFC Reserves returned to winning ways in some style against unbeaten divisional leaders Harlow Hill.

The Reserves welcomed back to the fold goalkeeper Peter Taylor and together with the reunion of last season's back four of Dixon, Beaumont, David Taylor and McTigue he gave the team the stability that has been lacking over the past few weeks.

Harlow Hill came with an unbeaten record that suggested Ilkley would struggle due to the unavailability of a number of players.

However, the home side had other ideas and in a scrappy first-half it was only the excellent goalkeeping of Diver in the Harlow goal that kept the scores level going into half-time.

The re-start saw the league leaders pegged back from the off and good work by Rishworth and Jordan found Lindley at the edge of the box. He hit what could only be described as a pitching wedge of a shot which took an age to loop over Driver's despairing hand.

This then stung the complacent away team into action and they duly equalised three minutes later through skipper Steve Jones whose mazy run and shot totally beat the Ilkley defence.

This was probably the last real act of defiance by a team, who in the words of their manager, thought they only had to turn up to win.

Ilkley then went on to bring their high flying opponents back to earth.

Smith and Jordan exchanged passes before Smith converted the first of his two goals.

The second followed ten minutes later when he glanced a precise McTigue cross under the Harlow 'keeper.

With Ilkley out working and out playing their opponents it was only a matter of time before further damage was done to Harlow's reputation and on the 76th minute Gilks was set free by Man-of-the-Match Jordan and he coolly finished from 12 yards giving the 'keeper no chance.

Four minutes later Jordan capped a fine performance by chipping Diver from 25 yards after good work by Lindley, Rishworth and Smith and in acknowledgement of the effort he had put in over 80 minutes he was duly substituted.

The triple substitution of Sharpe, Merritt and Turnbull helped maintain the tempo and the home side should have added to the scoreline with further chances falling to Sharpe and Smith.

This was the most impressive performance of the season by a scratch side who outplayed their highflying opponents for most of the game and can only be a positive sign for the future.

l The Reserves are away to Killinghall on Saturday meet at the swimming pool at 12.45pm.