Two rapid goals resulted in Silsden suffering a 2-0 defeat against Frickley in yesterday’s NCEL Premier Division match away from home.
Despite a promising start by the Cobbydalers, goals from Keanan Mannings and Keegan Townrow just before halftime sealed their fate, marking their third league defeat this season.
Following two consecutive victories, the Silsden team entered the match with high confidence, and opportunities began to arise early on.
Adam Clayton attempted a long-range shot, and his strike was skillfully tipped onto the crossbar by Callum Bradbury. The ensuing corner found Kayle Price, but his shot was held by the goalkeeper.
In-form winger Casey Stewart came close shortly after when Luke Brooksbank found him, but he could only poke the ball wide from a close distance.
The pattern persisted as Lewis Gardner advanced into the penalty area but seemed too selfless, opting to pass the ball back instead of taking a shot when an opening emerged, which allowed the hosts to clear the danger.
More chances continued to come Silsden’s way, with Clayton narrowly heading over the crossbar following a well-delivered corner from Maltby.
However, as is often the case in football, failing to capitalise on opportunities led to punishment, and Frickley capitalised on that to secure a two-goal lead before halftime.
From a throw-in on the left, Manning executed a quick one-two inside the box before firing an unstoppable shot into the far corner, beyond the reach of Kyle Trenerry.
The second goal arrived moments later, as a deep cross was not dealt with properly, enabling Townrow to rise above our defence and head the ball home from close range.
The second half didn’t offer much improvement for Silsden, as Trenerry was forced to rush out and make two nearly identical one-on-one saves against the opposing attackers.
Despite the earlier goals, Kyle’s exceptional form was evident when he dived across the goal to tip a powerful shot from inside the box over the crossbar in the 57th minute.
Silsden’s next close opportunity came in the 72nd minute when experienced centre-half Spencer Harris attempted a speculative shot that narrowly missed the upright.
Jack Normanton appeared to have pulled one back with an audacious chip that landed on the roof of Bradbury’s net.
As the match reached its final moments, Trenerry managed one more remarkable save as he deflected a free-kick aimed at the top corner. However, this had little impact on the game’s outcome.
Despite a dominant opening half-hour, Silsden will be disappointed to leave the match empty-handed, resulting in a drop to 11th place in the league standings.
