Goals from Ben Grech-Brooksbank and Liam Hudson failed to secure a positive result as Thackley fell to a narrow 3-2 defeat against current league leaders Silsden AFC at Dennyfield, with Thackley ruing missed chances early on in the game which potentially may have swung the outcome the other way in front of a crowd of 329.

The ideal start nearly emerged for the Dennyboys after a sustained period of momentum up to and including the eighth minute saw Slater Barnes play the ball low across the penalty area to the waiting feet of Antony Brown, whose resulting first time effort went agonisingly over the crossbar.

Chances would continue to show themselves for both teams, with a promising effort from Luke Brooksbank for Silsden also going over the bar after 13 minutes, whilst Slater Barnes had a shot that looked destined for the bottom left saved in the last second by Callum Bradbury, after good work to get the ball to him from Finn Donovan.

The game’s drama slowly began to unfold from this point, with first half bookings for both sides before against the run of play, the visitors would gain the advantage in the 33rd minute courtesy of Ellis Hudson, who did well to deliver a powerful shot on the turn after receiving the ball in the box that had the beating of Michael Roxburgh.

Thackley would recover well and looked hungry for an equaliser before the break, something that nearly came in the 42nd minute when Brown found himself through on goal, but Bradbury was there again to make a good save as the ball moved along the ground, with this chance ultimately being the last of an eventful half in a game that was clearly going to be decided by the finest of margins.

HALF TIME: Thackley 0 v 1 Silsden AFC

The game resumed after the break with both teams out to make a statement early on, something that Silsden managed in the 52nd minute when they doubled their advantage following a well performed solo run by Kayle Price, whose initial effort against Roxburgh from a difficult angle was saved before the rebound would find his path, allowing him to convert and give the visitors some breathing room.

Only four minutes would pass following this goal before Thackley would get a crucial one of their own courtesy of Grech-Brooksbank, who managed to head home a chipped cross from Brown with the ball narrowly crossing the line in the process to give the game an added level of excitement.

After this goal, the Dennyboys continued to push Silsden and had glimmers of hope in their mission to score the equaliser, but in the 71st minute, all of this work was undone after a cross found the feet of Hudson and left him with enough space to volley the ball past Roxburgh and restore his side’s two goal advantage, whilst also securing a brace for himself on the occasion.

The 82nd minute would provide another twist after some more sustained pressure from the hosts, with it being Thackley’s own Hudson who got a headed goal himself, with him latching onto a corner from Donovan before scoring past Bradbury and into the bottom left hand corner, all whilst being unmarked in the process.

A good opportunity to equalise would then present itself, after an underhit backpass from former Thackley player Corey Billy in the centre of defence was anticipated by Donovan - he beat Bradbury to the ball and his stabbed effort went agonisingly the wrong side of the post.

The Dennyboys would try it all to secure a late equaliser, but a lack of clear cut chances would ultimately condemn the team to a 3-2 defeat, with Silsden managing the game well under pressure, though Thackley will feel that had they taken their early opportunities, the result could have been much different.

FULL TIME: Thackley 2 v 3 Silsden AFC

A good contest for the 329 in attendance which saw the Dennyboys narrowly edged out. For now, the team will have to reflect and go again on Wednesday when they travel to Campion AFC for another local affair that could play a huge role in the course of the season entirely.

Thackley team: Roxburgh; Rhodes; Bodle; Parsons; Dempsey; Hudson; Donovan; Mitchell; Brown; Grech-Brooksbank© (Bradshaw 78mins); Barnes (Ahmed 78mins). Unused subs: Tektas; Gibbon; Jones.

Silsden AFC team: Bradbury; Cromack; Clarke; Daly©; Billy; Cassidy; E.Hudson; Stockdill; Price; Brooksbank; Stewart. Subs: Greaves; Jeffrey; Kilner; Maltby; Conteh.

Thackley Scorers: Grech-Brooksbank (56mins); L.Hudson (82mins)
Silsden Scorers: E.Hudson (33mins; 71mins); Price (52mins)

Man of the Match: Harry Parsons

Attendance: 329

Photo credit: Martin Taylor at Shot by Bamboo