Liversedge 0 Thackley 2

 The Northern Counties East League derby was in doubt before a pitch inspection at high noon.

It went ahead but Liversedge could be excused for wishing it had been temporarily shelved.

It was their first tentative step back into action following the unscheduled mid-winter break and Thackley earned the victory that widened the gap between the pair in the table.

The damage was done by two Luke Hudson goals in the second half but Thackley also hit the woodwork as they created the clearer openings.

Sedge could have broken the deadlock but the game soon slipped away from them.

Spokesman John Hewitt said: “We had a very good spell at the start of the second half but it was the first game for ages for the lads and they tired later on.

“Thackley had played one league game and two friendly fixtures so they were probably that bit sharper.

“For us it had the feeling of a pre-season game and a lot of our supporters said the same because it has been weeks since any of them have been to the ground.”

Sedge striker Luke Sherman shot into the side-netting before Dean Walters hit the post for the visitors.

Walters had a good first half for the Reds and was either involved in or on the end of most of their good moves.

Sherman was denied by a very smart save from Thackley keeper Ben Higginson during the home side’s bright second-half opening.

The game slipped away from them in an 11-minute spell.

Hudson’s first, in the 65th minute, was a scrappy finish after Stuart Waite had delivered a good cross.

He netted his second when he steered a Nicky Matthews cross past the home keeper and missed the chance of a hat-trick by shooting wide three minutes from time.

Thackley spokesman Chris Frank said: “The scoring tells the story of the game in its own way. It was a difficult first half on the surface but there was more football played by both sides after the interval.

“We created more chances and we are now over the 40-point threshold and up to fourth in the table.”