Yew Tree 4

Helperby Hotspur 6

Yew Tree's run of eight successive victories came to a sudden end after a late surge by a skillful Helperby outfit, who were clearly in the mood for a scrap for the promotion places.

Unusually, Yew Tree started the more adventurously and a fine balance of slick passing and crunching challenges promised an exciting game, but Helperby 'keeper Palin ensured respectability during the first ten minutes. Then the Helperby rearguard was breached twice in three minutes. Ben Kelly netted with arrogance after a fine ball from manager Simon Malpass and Malpass then curled a delightful chip around the stricken 'keeper after an intelligent ball from Tom Armitage.

With a two goal cushion Yew Tree's back four Sutcliffe, Pollard, Smithson and Wigglesworth kept the Helperby forwards at bay only momentarily and Winfield gleefully netted.

Seconds later Robbie Field won a corner and Malpass's inswinger was acrobatically met by a returning Nigel Smithson and the ball ricocheted off three Helperby bodies before trickling into the corner of the net.Smithson claimed the goal.

A quick reply by Worth with a fine glancing header saw Yew Tree with a deserved 3-2 interval lead. Malpass's legendary half-time talk failed to live up to its normal billing as the tide suddenly turned in the second period and Yew Tree were on the backfoot.

Chances went begging, a glaring miss by Robbie Field after the ball had miraculously taken a bobble on the concrete-hard surface being the pick of the bunch.

In the 56th minute the effervescent Ben Kelly picked up the ball on the edge of the area and danced through a static defence to place Yew Tree into a very comfortable lead.

Another quick fire response, this time by Helperby's Wilde after a fluke shot squirmed under Tony Kirk, saw the home side with their backs to the wall for the rest of the game. Yew Tree were forced into making substitutions when Richard Field and Graham Pollard limped off. Andre Holland, playing in an uncustomary centre-half role, scored two own goals in quick succession.

Helperby's Stevens hammered the final nail in the coffin, which may have put an end to Yew Tree's promotion chances.

Yew Tree may have to settle for a place in the play-offs and will view this game as a missed opportunity for glory. Man-of-the-Match was Oliver Sutcliffe, who braveley battled through the pain barrier.

l Manager Malpass would like all players to ring him on Saturday morning before 9am to obtain details for forthcoming fixtures and selects from: Kirk, Wrigglesworth, Danskin, Pollard, Smithson, Sutcliffe, Richard Field, Robbie Field, Garry Field, S Thompson, Malpass, Jackson, Armitage, Kelly, Richmond, Holland.

IN the Wharfedale Triangle League Supplementary Cup semi-finals Horsforth Rangers won the derby with Horsforth Fairweather 5-3.

Goals from Don Kersley (2), Andy Ward, Simon Wilson and Matthew Pollard sealed their win. Replying for Fairweather were Lee Monaghan, Steve Lane and Simon Parker.

Thackley Commercial booked their place in the final with a 5-3 win over Commercial.

Rawdon had a 3-2 win over Station Wanderers in the Premier Division with goals from Richard Machell, Richard Nutbrown and David Gilks.

In Division One Otley Wharfeside triumphed 6-1 over Crown Celtic , Yeadon Westfield had a 3-1 win over Yeadon Town with strikes from Sam Weaver, Carl Douglas and an own goal.

Milford beat Wheatley 5-4 with goals from Andy Campbell, Bradley Devine, Phil Lloyd, Desmond Claxton and Charlie Hughes. Paul Wintersgill (2), Dan Holbrook and Andy Hirst replied.