Thackley were on an eight match unbeaten run when they took on Bradford Park Avenue in the West Riding County Cup Third Round on Tuesday night. Avenue are three levels above the Dennyboys, after a poor start to the season they had started to put some good results together, with four wins in their last six games. Thackley were without Luke O’Brien, Josh Snowden and Jordan Rouse, three influential defenders, which meant both Craig Bentham and Paul Whiteley dropped into the back four from their normal mid field positions. The kick off was delayed for some twenty five minutes because of fog.

If football is a spectator sport, then for the first twenty minutes or so of this game is was not for the 145 fans that came to watch the match. With visibility restricted to less than the width of the pitch, these opening minutes remain somewhat of a mystery to the majority that were at the game. However, it was in these opening minutes that a couple of the best chances were created. Avenue keeper, Jon Worsnop did well to parry Chris Wademan’s shot after Joe Brown had headed the ball on. John Cofie went close a few minutes later after getting clear down the left, his shot going narrowly wide. The same player should have done better soon after; this time his shot was straight at home keeper Luke Wilson. It was Cofie again that went close just before the half hour, putting the ball wide of the advancing Wilson after being put through by Emile Sinclair. On forty minutes, the home side had the ball in the net, Brown getting his head to Pat McGuire’s perfectly flighted free kick but the Thackley striker was adjudged to have been offside. It had been a pretty even first half, Thackley matching their higher level neighbours.

Half time: Thackley 0 Bradford Park Avenue 0.

Shane Killock replaced Ryan Toulson at the start of the second period, as gradually the away side started to get on top. However, the Thackley defence stood firm and Avenue were restricted to a number of long range efforts which were wide of the target. Thackley had their moments and Brown should have given Worsnop more to do after getting his head to a George Eustance cross. Neither side were really creating much up front, defences were on top. The away side swapped the Boshell brothers and Thackley made three changes mid way through the half, Ryan Farrell, Elliott Scott and Dan Broadbent replacing Ben Joyce, Declan Howe and Joe Brown. With ten minutes remaining, it was the Dennyboys that came close to breaking the deadlock; Paul Whiteley’s cross hit the bar before dropping to Farrell, full back Lee Spires thwarted the Thackley substitute. The game seemed to be heading for penalties when the away side won a corner, this followed the ball being cleared off the line from a rather soft free kick. The Thackley defence were caught out, the ball coming out to substitute Danny Boshell, he fired in an unstoppable shot from outside the box to put the away side through to the next round.

Full time: Thackley 0 Bradford Park Avenue 1.

The referee took a great risk in starting this game given the conditions; I suppose you could say his decision was vindicated because the match was finished. However, few could have got much pleasure from the opening twenty minutes or so. The first half was a pretty even affair, Avenue did most of the pressing in the second half, but the Thackley defence held them at bay. If the game had to be lost, it made it a little easier to take when the winner came from a strike like Boshells’. Thackley have exited all this season’s cups at the first stage, but all the players can be proud of their performance in this match against a team three levels above them.

Back to league action on Saturday when Thackley travel to Parkgate looking for their fourth double of the season. They beat the Steelmen 5-1 in September, if they want to keep the pressure on Cleethorpes Town, they will need all three points from this game.

Thackley team: Wilson; Whiteley; Hargeaves; McGuire (C); White; Bentham; Joyce (Farrell 62 mins); Howe (Scott 67 mins); Wademan; Brown (Braodbent 72 mins); Eustance.

Bradford Park Avenue team: Worsnop; Toulson (C) (Killock 45 mins); Spires; Dean; Hill; Payne; Wade; Cofie; Sharp; Sinclair; N Boshell (D Boshell 62 mins).

Bradford Park Avenue scorer: Danny Boshell 90 mins.

Attendance: 145.

Referee: Gareth Mellor.

Photo: The Terrace (Saltaire) Man of the Match Jerry White presented with the voucher by game sponsor, Dave Gomersal.