Thackley’s opening league game of the season was against Clipstone, both teams had exited the FA Cup on Saturday; both would be looking to bounce back with a win. The Cobras are managed by ex Thackley boss Billy Fox and had a couple of ex Dennyboys in their ranks, Andy Fox and Chris Fawcus. The Thackley side included new signing Ben Joyce (from Knaresborough), the returning Craig Bentham and Elliott Scott started in place of Rob Foulds. The winner of the game would top the league for at least a day since this was the only league game played so far this season.

The game was five minutes old when Clipston won a free kick inside the box; home keeper Matt Convey forced to dive on Jerry White’s back pass to prevent an away forward getting to the ball, the free kick was deflected wide. On ten minutes Clipstone had to make a change, Andy Fox sustained a foot injury which required hospital treatment, his replacement was Reece Littlejohn. This rather disruptive start was pretty indicative of the whole game, neither side able to find any real rhythm or continuity. Both teams had shots at goal, none good enough to trouble either keeper, most were wide or high of the mark. However, on the half hour, Thackley made the breakthrough with the first real chance of the game, a long ball played over the defence by Kris Hargreaves, saw Dan Broadbent nip in between Chris Salt and the advancing Steve Hernandez, he lifted the ball cleverly over the stranded keeper’s head into the net. Other than a couple of yellow cards, Clipstone’s Lee Whittington for diving and Thackley’s Craig Bentham for a tackle on Chris Fawcus, there was little to note in the rest of a rather scrappy first half.

Half time: Thackley 1 Clipstone 0.

Clipstone came out for the second half determined to get back into the game and putting the home defence under some pressure. Convey made good saves in the opening fifteen minutes from Ellis Wall and Richard Patterson. There were also a couple of bookings as the game became rather fractious, Wall for Clipstone and Elliott Scott for the Dennyboys. The half was sixteen minutes old before Thackley tested Hernandez, Broadbent’s turn and shot looked to be heading for the top corner; the Clipstone keeper somehow palmed the ball away. The Cobras were reduced to ten men with twenty minutes remaining, Brandon Cardwell talking himself into two yellow cards within a few minutes of each other. This did not phase the away side and they scored within a couple of minutes of his dismissal. Steve McDonnell firing across Convey, his low drive going in off the far post. Aohden Brownlee made way for Dan Clayton to make his debut for the Dennyboys, in what turned out to be an inspired substitution. For he had only been on the field for ten minutes, when he scored a great individual goal, cutting in from the right and hammering the ball home from a narrow angle. A couple minutes later it looked liked Clipstone had equalised for a second time but Convey was fouled as he smothered the ball on the line following a goal mouth scramble. Clipstone went close with a couple more efforts before Callum Marshall replaced Cameron Jones in the dying minutes. The Thackley spectators were happy when time was called on proceedings.

Full time: Thackley 2 Clipstone 1.

It had definitely not been a classic football match; overall it had been a pretty scrappy affair which became bad tempered at times. However, it netted the Dennyboys an opening day win and three valuable points, which should give them confidence going into Saturday’s difficult encounter with Cleethorpes.

Thackley team: Convey; Hargreaves; Scott; McGuire (C); White; Snowden; Joyce; Jones (Marshall 90 mins); Broadbent; Bentham; Brownlee (Clayton 74 mins). Subs not used: Hudson; Foulds; Wilson.

Clipstone team: Hernandez; Shepherd; Fawcus; Cardwell; Salt; Patterson (C); Forster; Fox (R Littlejohn 10 mins); Whittington; McDonnell; Wall. Subs not used: C Littlejohn; Ashmore; Forbes; Francis.

Thackley scorers: Dan Broadbent 32 mins; Dan Clayton 83 mins.

Clipstone scorer: Steve McDonnell 74 mins.

Attendance: 78.

Referee: Jonathan Bickerdike.

Photo: The Terrace ‘Man of the Match: Josh Snowden.