Ilkley U-16s......................... 5

Wetherby..............................1

As Ilkley Under-16s enter the second half of the season unbeaten, the visit of lowly Wetherby may well have been on paper a banker home win if the pools panel was required. A heavy overnight frost fortunately lifted sufficiently to enable the match to proceed.

Typically no football match is ever won on paper and Wetherby belied their lowly position and confidently took the game to Ilkley. Wetherby were soon dominating midfield and lethargic defending allowed the visitors far too many opportunities to test Peter Healey in the Ilkley goal.

Wetherby grew in confidence and it wasn't long before a needless corner resulted in the visitors scrambling in the opening goal.

Trailing 0-1 Ilkley failed to look interested and only good covering by James Wilson spared further

defensive blushes. The introduction of Mat Earnshaw soon saw Ilkley start to work their way back into the match. Following a Thomas Rennolds corner, Richard Hutchinson saw his shot blocked before David Tod pounced on the loose ball and bundle it over the goal-line.

Having anchored midfield, Rennolds and Garlick were soon beginning to turn up the tempo of the game. Without playing well, Ilkley were soon in front when a superb David Tod header was despatched from a Rennolds corner. With the interval insight, Wetherby found their task even greater when James Wilson finished off the first period of passing play, with a well taken goal.

Having played poorly by recent high standards, the Ilkley players set about raising their game in the second-half. Wetherby soon new there would be no way back in this match when James Wilson picked up a loose ball before scoring the goal of the game from distance.

An improved second-half saw good movement and workrate with Jon Garlick and Gareth Hopwood unlucky not to get the goal their efforts deserved.The scoring was completed deep into injury time when Richard Hutchinson headed home from close range.

Good performances by Chris Smith and Thomas Rennolds were rewarded with Manager's Points, but James Wilson played an excellent captain's role deservedly gaining the Man-of-the-Match award.