Ilkley Juniors Youth...1

Cononley..........................2

Every team has a rocky spell during a season and the Guyson sponsored Ilkley Juniors Youth experienced another setback on Saturday, when a Cononley team reinforced by several first-tem players survived a second-half onslaught to record a surprise victory.

However, Ilkley Youth contributed to the defeat with a mediocre performance albeit in increasingly difficult windy conditions.

A bright start against the wind saw Ilkley Youth spurn two goalscoring

chances in the first ten minutes. A good passing move between Rishworth and Horne set Keith racing clear but his low shot was too close to the goalkeeper. Then top-scorer Horne saw his shot blocked on the line after a good break involving Beaumont and Tod.

A combative Cononley side gradually began to exert pressure, which was accentuated by the windy conditions and Taylor was well-placed to save a direct free-kick, and a Cononley forward miss-kicked when unmarked in the penalty-area.

For the second week in succession, the normally reliable Ilkley Youth defenders seemed unable or unwilling to make determined early challenges for the ball, allowing Cononley attacks to develop when they should have been thwarted.

With an increasing sense of inevitability, Cononley took the lead when a corner was only partially cleared and the return ball to the far post found a forward unmarked and able to volley the ball over Taylor without challenge.

This spurred Cononley to greater effort and Beaumont, Houlston, Dixon and Joe McTigue found great difficulty in applying themselves to winning the ball, all being content to let someone else take responsibility.

As a consequence, Wheeler spent most of the half at left-back and McTigue at centre-back, with five players marking two Cononley forwards. Captain Rishworth and Tod struggled vainly in midfield and the urgings of the coach and spectators had little effect on the complacent defenders.

With the thought of a 1-0 half-time deficit looking like good fortune, Cononley gained a second goal when a long throw was glanced past Taylor at the front-post with the slightest of touches.

For the first-time this season, Ilkley Youth players had shown little collective resolve or determination and had been second to the ball throughout the first half.

This was not to improve despite continued urgings from the coaching staff at half-time. In an effort to change the pattern of the game, Tim McTigue, Richard Martin and former Guiseley Academy player and debutant Graham Richardson were introduced early in the second-half.

Without playing much constructive football, Ilkley gained hope when Tim McTigue rifled in a 25 yard shot to record his first senior goal and one-way pressure saw Cononley defend with increasing desperation. A Dixon shot was well-saved, and a series of corners saw the ball cleared off the line, hit the far post and be scrambled to safety

Employing a back three to better effect since it made lazy defenders work harder, Ilkley Youth poured forward but couldn't break through. A superb Richardson cross flashed across the six-yard box without an Ilkley player being prepared to make a determined challenge and that summed up the attitude of the whole team throughout the game.

Clearly believing a victory was inevitable against a low-placed team, Ilkley Youth players failed to match Cononley in effort and determination, and unless possession of the ball is gained it is difficult to create or score goals.

Some Ilkley players lacked the determination and commitment required even at this comparatively lowly standard, perhaps thinking they were better players than they really are.

The Man-of-the Match award went to Peter Tod for a valiantly energetic performance and Graham Richardson did well in his brief time on the field.

Never mind, one defea'

doesn';t make a good team into a poor one, and with a bit more personal responsibility and leadership by each of the players, the successful season can continue.

Ilkley Youth have the opportunity to redeem this performance on Saturday when they entertain Settle, kick-off 2.30 pm.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.