SAM Duffin has been involved with Oxenhope Recreation Football Club since 1970 but can never remember a better display in all that time as the first team gave in winning the West Riding County FA Challenge Cup.

The underdogs were an incredible 3-0 ahead inside 12 minutes against West Yorkshire League Premier Division rivals Leeds City at county HQ in Woodlesford.

They went on to win 6-3 thanks to goals by Dan Moriarty (3), Tom Marshall, Leon Smith and Sean Quinlan, with Leeds City having a man sent off in the second half.

This followed the all-Oxenhope Keighley & District FA Supplementary Cup final the previous night at Silsden, which the second team won 5-4 in extra time against their third team, while the club's first team face Steeton in the Keighley & District FA Challenge Cup final at Silsden tonight (7.30).

With the second team also chasing the West Yorkshire League Alliance Division One championship and the thirds seeking promotion from Craven League Division Two, having won the Division Two Cup final 2-1 against Grindleton Reserves at Cowling FC on Wednesday night, these are heady days indeed for the Rec.

First-team manager Duffin reflected on the performance against quadruple-chasing Leeds City, who Oxenhope defeated for the first time, and said: "That was the best display I have seen from an Oxenhope team in all the 35 years I have been involved as a player or official.

"We expected it to be tough and we wanted to break the game down into four quarters. But to be 3-0 up after 12 minutes with some great goals was a dream start and almost blew away our game-plan against opponents who were unbeaten in 27 matches.

"However, Sam Lee's save when we were leading 1-0 was crucial – but he has been doing that all season for us and has even been our best player in some of the matches that we have lost.

"We were 3-1 ahead at the break and had to tell the lads that they would come at us hard in the second half.

"We told them that Leeds would up their tempo and be more direct – but the killer goal was our fourth, which came just two minutes after half-time, and it didn't matter much on a great night that the last two goals we conceded were a bit sloppy.

"But although I cannot remember the last time Leeds City conceded six goals, you never truly relax until the final whistle.

"Our support – we brought a coachload – was magnificent all around the ground: in the stand, behind the goals and down the sides.

"I don't know when we will have a season like this as a club again and this game took some sinking in, to be honest. Some of us celebrated long and hard back at the club afterwards.

"We have come a long way since we were in the Craven League, although we were a good Craven League side, and that is testament to the hard work that has been done at the club by so many people, backroom staff included, over the years."