THACKLEY will hope things can only get better for them in 2022, after their dreams of starting the year off with a bang went up in smoke.

They were behind within 60 seconds of their NCEL Premier Division encounter at Staveley Miners Welfare yesterday, and went on to suffer a bruising 4-0 defeat.

Ewan Catt incredibly opened the scoring after just 12 seconds for the hosts, and their dominance was nearly rewarded with a second, but Tyler Marsh saved Thackley by heading the ball off the line.

It was soon 2-0 anyway, when a lightning counter attack from Staveley ended with left-winger Tyler Dunn having a shot deflected into the back of the net.

Jack Dillingham made it 3-0 to the hosts just after the break, firing home after Dennyboys stopper Luke Wilson had produced a save from point-blank range to keep out Catt.

A pair of substitutes almost helped Thackley get back into it. First, the recently-introduced Nicholas Matthews produced a sublime backheel to set up Lewis Waddington, who saw a shot from a tight angle saved by Rio Alberry.

Then, Thomas Rose, who had come on in the first half for Loz Hunter, saw his looping effort from range hit the crossbar.

And just moments after that second close shave for Staveley, they went up the other end to make it 4-0.

Mitch Langton produced a great ball to put Dunn free, and he finished neatly to settle the game once and for all.

The game petered out after that, although there were a handful of decent chances.

Kris Hargreaves went close with a header for Thackley, and Rose had an effort stopped by Alberry, while at the other end, Dunn missed a brilliant chance to net his hat-trick by blazing over from two yards out at the back post.

The defeat leaves Thackley down in 13th, when a win would have taken them sixth, in what is a tightly-contested mid-table.

Silsden are part of that pack too, but they had to settle for a disappointing 1-1 draw at second-bottom Hemsworth Miners Welfare on New Year’s Day.

The Cobbydalers made a sensational start, with Lewis Gardner scoring on the overlap from Brad Riley’s ball through in the opening minute.

But the visitors missed a hatful of chances to score again, and they paid for it when Andrew Higgins headed home an equaliser midway through the second half.

Leaders Liversedge suffered rare dropped points when they could only draw 1-1 at home to Pontefract Collieries in the NPL East Division.

Lewis Whitham drilled Sedge in front at the start of the second half, but Callum Brook equalised for Pontefract from close range with 13 minutes to go.

But Jonathan Rimmington’s side actually increased their lead at the summit to four points, after second-placed Marske United suffered a surprise 2-0 defeat at Dunston.

Finally, Brighouse Town stayed ninth in that division after losing 1-0 at Ossett United, thanks to a first-half goal from Ify Ofoegbu.