Thackley played their final pre season friendly on Saturday when they took on fellow NCEL side Yorkshire Amateur. Again there was a number of changes to the team that won at Barnoldswick on Monday night.

Thackley squandered a number of chances in the opening minutes, away keeper, and ex Thackley favourite, Mark Bower making a couple of good saves, before the Hammers took the lead, somewhat against the run of play. Liam Hudson brought down Joel Hughes in the box with a rather clumsy challenge. Hughes took the spot kick and made no mistake, sending home keeper Matt Convey the wrong way. Thackley were controlling the game and Bower, and difficulty in getting the final touch on the ball, prevented the Dennyboys from leveling. That was until just before the half hour, when Luke O'Brien went on a run down the left, it culminated with a shot across Bower into the far corner of the net. The home side continued in the same vein and the scores remained level at the break.
HT 1-1.
Josh Eastwood replaced Luke Rhodes at the start of the second half. Thackley went in front on fifty one minutes. Liam Hudson getting his head to a Chris Davey corner, to power the ball past Bower. The Hammers were unlucky not to level the scores five minutes later, hitting the bar with Convey beaten. It was not to be and Thackley went on to add another two goals to their tally. Both were scored by Mike Garrod, the first, after he pounced on a through ball from substitute Dom Grimes, the second, was a similar ball played to him by Rob Foulds. The Thackley striker made no mistake with either chance, to give the Dennyboys the sort of winning margin their performance deserved.
FT : 4-1.
Overall, it was another good performance, a game that Thackley never really looked in any danger of loosing, even after going a goal behind early on.

The season starts next week for the Dennyboys, an away game at Barton Town Old Boys. It has been a good pre season, let us hope that Thackley can continue in the same form for their first real encounter of this season.

Thackley team : Convey; Hargreaves; O'Brien; Whiteley; Foulds; Hudson; Rhodes (Eastwood 45mins); McGuire (C) (Grimes 60mins); Davey (White 65mins); Garrod; Trueman (Bilney 55 mins).

Yorkshire Amateur team : Bower; Carl Heard; Green; Fishley; Hammond; Hainsworth; Blakey; Hill; Hughes; Craig Heard; Mottley. Subs all used : Ellis; Marsden; Billal; Stammer; Blair.

Thackley scorers : Luke O'Brien 25 mins; Liam Hudson 51 mins; Mike Garrod 69 mins and 75 mins.
Yorkshire Amateur scorer : Joel Hughes 12 mins (pen).

Referee : Jimmy Price.

Attendance : 38.