Eccleshill 1, Thackley 0

The weekend's big Bradford derby lacked the blood and thunder of usual meetings between the sides and the result did not upset the form-book.

Eccleshill had home advantage and boasted a much better placing in the Northern Counties East Premier Division. Thackley have endured a difficult first half to their season and badly need points.

That should have alerted the undecided who enjoy a wager to put their pennies on a Thackley victory at their closest neighbours but they did not come close to making that bet pay, despite the home side finishing with ten men.

Midway through the second half, Eagles vice-captain Stuart Waite was the man who saw red. Even then the early bath was not the result of a contentious decision, merely a second yellow card.

Thackley's Phil Holmes had gone in late with a challenge on Waite, the pair squared up and ended up grappling on the floor. It was unsightly but not nasty. The rest of the players from both sides converged and a handbags' situation arose.

The referee restored order and deemed a yellow card each was sufficient but because Waite had been shown a yellow card just minutes earlier he had to go. It was a surreal cameo in a game that lacked passion or any meaty challenges.

It was a tight game that either side could have made their mark in, yet it seemed as though neither was prepared to take it by the scruff of the neck.

The only typical aspect of the derby fixture was that the only goal came from an error, by a player who used to be a regular with the opponents. Thackley keeper Stuart Wilkinson was the unfortunate central character.

The home side forced a 55th-minute corner, which was cleared but Eccleshill regained possession and Ross Haywood sent in a cross. Wilkinson got his hands to what should have been a regulation take but fumbled and Andy Howland, another player who has turned out in both colours, stabbed in.

Ten minutes from time, Joel Etienne had a good chance to level matters but it was a rare sight of goal for Thackley - or, in fact, for either side in a drab meeting of the two closet neighbours in the division.

"Both sides battled but it was a bit boring, if I'm honest," said Eagles spokesman Paul Jarvis.

"It wasn't your typical derby, with no big tackles coming in, and certainly not one for the purists. If any neutrals had wandered in they wouldn't have known it was a game involving two great local rivals."

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