Wharfedale Sport

Bogey side knock Town out of the County Challenge Cup

9:51am Thursday 26th January 2012

Fields 3 Otley Town 2

Two Otley Town goals in the last ten minutes made this look like a close game but if truth be told Fields were palpably the better side throughout this fourth round clash.

Their reward is a quarter-final against Leeds City and last season’s beaten finalists can have few complaints.

Fields have proved to be the Nemesis of Otley Town this season having knocked them out of the League Cup, defeated them recently by the odd goal in a league game and now eliminated them from the County Cup.

It must have been a touch and go decision by the referee to judge the pitch playable but that was his verdict and the home side adapted to the bog-like surface and howling wind far better than Town.

They made the perfect start scoring after just five minutes when a low cross from the right was diverted home from close range giving Town keeper Gav Phillis no chance.

Playing with the wind at their back, Fields continued to press forward and they grabbed a second goal after 25 minutes when another cross from the right wasn’t cleared properly and the ball was forced in from close range.

Town might have reduced the arrears when Ben Greenhow’s close-range header fell straight into the arms of a grateful home keeper, but chances were few and far between for Otley.

Having survived the elements and a difficult first period the Town management had high hopes of pulling the game around in the second half.

Fields however had other ideas and played even better against the wind.

Their short passing game was ideally suited to the conditions and they could have had even more goals but for the brilliance of Phillis in Town’s goal.

Fields scored a third midway through the half when even Phillis was finally beaten and that seemed to be that.

Scott Cater scored a consolation for Town ten minutes from the end when he latched on to a thorough ball to lob the home keeper and when Tom Chadwick scored another with a splendid free kick it looked like being a tight finish.

Unfortunately there was a mere two minutes left This Saturday fourth-placed Town entertain form team Wetherby Athletic in the West Yorkshire League (2pm).

o Otley Town, winners for the past two seasons have been reinstated in the Wharfedale FA Challenge Cup.

They were beaten 3-2 in the quarter-finals by Ventus Yeadon who were later found guilty of an administrative error.The tie will be replayed on Saturday, February 18.

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