2.30pm 23 August 2014
West Yorkshire League, Premier Division
Oxenhope Recreation 3 Leeds City 3 (att 45)
I had a frustrating trip to Oxenhope towards the end of last season, having battled my way through early evening rush hour traffic I arrived at the Recreation Ground to find it deserted and a sign informing me that the game was being played a few miles away in Keighley.
Evidently Oxenhope were having some teething troubles with the drainage of their new pitch (and it was my fault for not phoning ahead to check the game), but they're now back in the village, and despite the occasional light shower the rain was never going to be an issue today.
The club's former pitch, still used by the third team, and possibly the reserves, is next to the new one and has what must be steepest end-to-end slope of any "proper" pitch I've seen. The club needed a better ground to progress, and the relatively flat Centenary Pitch is the result, and it's a very nice place to watch game.
Essentially it's two-sided for spectators, who can choose to stand along one side, where a footpath runs, or from the top of a steep bank behind the goal.
Leeds City will be wondering how they didn't win this, although in a frantic final few minutes they nearly lost it. The visitors were ahead in the opening seconds, and doubled their lead in the first half's final minute. Two excellent goals putting them in the driving seat.
In the second half Oxenhope pulled a goal back, but a third goal, from a corner, gave Leeds City a 3-1 lead and they looked to be coasting to a win. But with around 10 minutes left Oxenhope responded by scoring twice in a minute, to draw what was a very entertaining game.
West Yorkshire League, Premier Division
Oxenhope Recreation 3 Leeds City 3 (att 45)
I had a frustrating trip to Oxenhope towards the end of last season, having battled my way through early evening rush hour traffic I arrived at the Recreation Ground to find it deserted and a sign informing me that the game was being played a few miles away in Keighley.
Evidently Oxenhope were having some teething troubles with the drainage of their new pitch (and it was my fault for not phoning ahead to check the game), but they're now back in the village, and despite the occasional light shower the rain was never going to be an issue today.
The club's former pitch, still used by the third team, and possibly the reserves, is next to the new one and has what must be steepest end-to-end slope of any "proper" pitch I've seen. The club needed a better ground to progress, and the relatively flat Centenary Pitch is the result, and it's a very nice place to watch game.
Essentially it's two-sided for spectators, who can choose to stand along one side, where a footpath runs, or from the top of a steep bank behind the goal.
Leeds City will be wondering how they didn't win this, although in a frantic final few minutes they nearly lost it. The visitors were ahead in the opening seconds, and doubled their lead in the first half's final minute. Two excellent goals putting them in the driving seat.
In the second half Oxenhope pulled a goal back, but a third goal, from a corner, gave Leeds City a 3-1 lead and they looked to be coasting to a win. But with around 10 minutes left Oxenhope responded by scoring twice in a minute, to draw what was a very entertaining game.
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