Houghton Main 0-2 Stocksbridge Park Steels Reserves

Despite dominance before the break, Steels needed to wait until just after the hour mark to take the lead. Charlie Stewart headed the ball across the face of goal, the keeper stayed rooted to the spot and Joe Jackson was able to volley the ball into the net from close range at the far post.

With five minutes remaining of the game, the scoreline was doubled. Stewart again was the architect with an early cross which was met by the head of Ryan MacDonald who gave goalkeeper Sam Leigh no chance.

When Jackson sprinted past Houghton defender Scott James, it looked set to become three, but Leigh pulled off a fine save to tip the ball around the post from the opening goalscorer’s one-on-one, in the closing stages.

Park Steels always looked the most likely side to score, and had started brightly when Luke Townsend’s shot was deflected over after seven minutes. Shortly afterwards, Elliott Simpson’s cross found Jordan Bethel, who played the ball into the penalty area, but Jackson was denied by the keeper after receiving the ball with his back to goal.

Charlie Stewart had several long-range attempts throughout the match, met with comfortable saves by Leigh. And MacDonald may feel he could have done better when losing his marker from Bethel’s corner, but sending the resulting free-header over the crossbar.

It was the same combination moments later when Bethel’s corner found MacDonald whose flick header flashed wide of goal, much to the relief of Leigh.

Luke Townsend attempted a spectacular long-range thunderbolt midway through the first half, but the Main stopper was up to the test.

After Matthew Wilson’s poor punch out at the start of the second half, it was Houghton who had the best chance to take the lead, but after the ball fell kindly to him, Shann Mitchell could only send the ball wide. They were punished for the miss soon after, as Stocksbridge took the lead through Jackson’s finish.

Main battled bravely for an equaliser, but Luke Sykes’ header was saved; substitute Ashley Emmett and Sykes sent long range efforts high and wide; and Adam Stead headed wide. Minutes after this latest effort, Main were punished with Steels’ crucial second courtesy of MacDonald.

The hosts never threatened after this and can be thankful that Leigh’s superb late effort kept the deficit to just two with his strong late save.

Houghton Main Team: Sam Leigh, Scott James, Jack Waldron, Carlton Dickinson, Craig Pickerill, Daniel Monfredi, Adam Stead, Luke Sykes, Daryl Smith, Jake Simon. Substitutes: Steve Clayton, Luke Bamford, Matt Outram, Aaron Tate, Ashley Emmett.

Stocksbridge Park Steels Reserves Team: Matthew Wilson, Elliott Simpson, Jordan Bethel, Ryan MacDonald, Tom Cadzow, Tom Jones, Callum Pinhorn, Luke Townsend, Thomas Nurney, Joe Jackson, Charlie Stewart. Substitutes: Jack Whitehouse, Lewis Shaw, John Beggs.