Long Eaton United 3, Thackley 2

As with many non-league games over the weekend, Thackley's trip to Long Eaton United was rated as doubtful but it escaped postponement and produced a fine spectacle.

The only disappointment for the Bradford side was that they came away from Derbyshire empty-handed.

They lost out by the odd strike in a five-goal thriller that was the archetypal game of two halves.

Long Eaton turned around 3-0 up, Thackley won the second half 2-0 and the last ten minutes were one-way traffic as the hosts held on by the skin of their teeth.

It took the home side six minutes to fashion their first effort on goal and it led to them taking the lead.

A ball in from the right was not effectively dealt with and Alex Steadman drove in from the edge of the box.

After 11 minutes, it was 2-0 after Channon North lashed in and just after the half-hour Steadman cut into the area to grab his second.

Thackley had seen a double chance go to waste just before Long Eaton's third but the comeback began very soon after the interval.

Just three minutes into the second half, Kyle Shah floated a free-kick into a packed area and it caused confusion. It seemed Thackley's James Firth had turned the ball in but it was later given as an own goal by James Carder.

With 11 minutes to go, a cross from Lincoln Donaldson was converted by skipper Joel Etienne. The goal gave the visitors hope of snatching a draw but, despite an onslaught, the equaliser remained elusive.