THACKLEY'S dreams of a trophy are over for this season, as they fell to a hard-fought 3-2 defeat at Emley AFC in the Northern Counties East League Cup quarter-finals last night.

Emley are sat third in the NCEL Premier Division, with Thackley down in 13th, so it was the hosts who started the night as favourites, especially with the visitors' squad being depleted.

But Emley were rocked by an early goal from the Dennyboys, debutant Ben Wignall opening the scoring just seven minutes into the game.

Aidan Chippendale's shot was blocked, but the ball broke back to Ben Grech-Brooksbank, who set the ball up for Wignall to fire into the far corner.

Thackley were forced to clear an Emley effort off the line soon after, but they nearly doubled their lead when Frankie Sinfield struck a shot just wide.

Luke Wilson then made a good save to keep the visitors in front, before Grech-Brooksbank was denied by a point-blank stop from Declan Lambton.

Samuel Pashley equalised five minutes before the break, heading home from a corner despite Thackley protests.

Half-time substitute Connor Bell conceded a penalty just after the break, with Alex Metcalfe converting it to put Emley in front.

The home side soon went 3-1 up, when Callum Charlton found the bottom corner with a strike from the left-hand side of the box.

Thackley refused to go down quietly, and they pulled a goal back with just over 10 minutes inside when Chippendale moved inside from the left and smashed a shot into the far corner of the net.

The Dennyboys should have equalised late on, but spurned a gilt-edged chance at the back post from Chippendale's teasing cross, the ball being headed wide.

They created one final opportunity in injury-time, but Sinfield's fierce strike crashed back off the crossbar, as his side bowed out.

Silsden's only win in 2023 so far came against Thackley, but they stopped the rot in the NCEL Premier Division last night, avoiding a sixth consecutive defeat with a battling 0-0 home draw against second-placed Winterton Rangers.

The Cobbydalers were fighting Winterton for promotion earlier in the season before this current run has seen them slide into mid-table.

But Silsden showed they can still compete with the top sides in the division last night, even though midfielder James Grogan was forced to go in goal for an hour after keeper Kyle Welsh was stretchered off with a knee injury.

Winterton dominated, and missed a penalty just before half-time, but Silsden created a few chances of their own, and picked up a deserved point.

There was a bit more excitement for Eccleshill United, as they lost a topsy-turvy game 4-2 at North Ferriby.

Leaders Ferriby took the lead through Danny Clarke, but Fernando Moke equalised just before the break, before Andrew Cooper's penalty gave the struggling visitors a shock lead four minutes into the second half.

The hosts are top for a reason though, and Clarke soon equalised, before Danny Earl put them in front midway through the second period.

Earl wrapped up the win for the home side with his second goal in injury-time.

Eccleshill remain down in 16th after the defeat, but are still 10 points clear of the drop.

In the Northern Premier League East Division, Brighouse Town earned a valuable 1-1 home draw against Sheffield in a chaotic game which saw three red cards.

A poor run has seen Brig slide dangerously close to the relegation play-offs, but they have moved three points clear of those now.

Reon Benjamin-Potts gave the hosts the lead early on from the spot, after a foul which saw Josh Burns receive a straight red.

Former Eccleshill United striker Luke Aldrich equalised for 10-man Sheffield a minute before the break.

A professional foul from Brig's Aiden Walker on Aldrich late on saw him dismissed, and the hosts were down to nine when Thomas Haigh was sent off for a poor tackle moments later.

But Brighouse saw out the final five minutes with a man down to claim a share of the spoils.

Liversedge had hoped to continue their push to avoid the drop last night, but their home game with Lancaster City in the NPL Premier Division was called off due to a frozen pitch.

But lowly Farsley Celtic had a brilliant night in National League North, with their shock 2-1 win at title-chasing King's Lynn Town leaving them in the four-team relegation zone on goal difference only.

The Celts were 1-0 up at the break through Frank Mulhern, who slotted an effort into the bottom corner after being set up by Bradford City loanee Kian Scales.

Tommy Hughes levelled for the hosts just after the break, but Farsley won the game at the death.

In the fourth minute of five added on, Theo Williams scored a sensational individual goal, breaking away after a King's Lynn free-kick, before sliding an effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

That goal stopped the home side from going top of the table, but Farsley will remain in the drop zone after this weekend regardless, as they are in FA Trophy quarter-final action at Gateshead on Saturday.