Stone Dominoes 1 Silsden 7 - Silsden faced a potential banana skin when visiting bottom of the league Dominoes but in the end ran out comfortable winners.

Since the turn of the year the Dominoes had lost heavily at Cammell Laird but only by the odd goal to Salford and St Helen's. Their new manager Kevin Sheldon was looking to create an upset but acknowledged that most of his players were young and inexperienced at this level.

In the end they were undone by a rampant Silsden side who finally tucked away a high proportion of the chances created.

Manager Andy Geary was delighted with the outcome: "Over the last month we've created several good chances but failed to capitalise on them, at last we've done ourselves justice," he said.

Geary has had the benefit of a settled squad with only Martin Bland having been sidelined through suspension in recent games. Bland was back and soon made his mark on the game heading in Packer's corner after only six minutes.

The Dominoes pulled one back when centre forward Johnson, their most effective player, latched on to a through ball.

Silsden didn't panic and gradually asserted themselves. Both sides set out to play 4-4-2 but the Cobbydalers were more compact. The wing-backs of the Dominoes were often too advanced and easily marshalled by Rhodes and Rosser. This allowed Silsden's wing-backs freedom down the flanks where Tom Appelbee and Packer had time and space to create mayhem sending over more than twenty crosses in the game.

Silsden's second goal came following an interception by Gill. After a one-two with Longley, Gill fed Whiteoak who curled it in with his left foot from the edge of the box.

The decisive goal came just before the break. The ball had been worked through the midfield where Hird was prominent, out to Appelbee who reached the by-line. His out-swinging cross was palmed out by the keeper but only on to the head of the grateful Jamie Longley.

Sheldon made changes to his side at half time and strengthened the midfield. For a while this worked although Bland, Nettleton and Foulger were rarely threatened as Silsden maintained possession for long periods of the half. Gradually the Staffordshire boys tired.

Following another corner from Packer, Bland rose unchallenged to head home his second at the far post.

A minute later Packer shot hard from the left. The keeper parried the ball into the path of his full back who knocked it inadvertently into his own net.

Geary's side were firmly in control and he was able to bring on all three substitutes who were soon in the action.

Following a move of a dozen passes Dowgill slid the ball through to Mick Rhodes who bent the ball in from 20 yards into the net.

James Gill made it a magnificent seven when he turned in the box and slid the ball under the advancing keeper - job done.

The match statistics highlighted Silsden's dominance. The Cobbydalers created 27 chances, 16 of which were on target.

Tomorrow (Saturday) they complete a Staffordshire hat-trick visiting Newcastle Town.