Thackley travelled to Athersley on Saturday hoping to get back to winning ways after Tuesday’s defeat at the hands of Pickering Town. The Penguins had not had a good September but two victories in October was likely to fill them with confidence. They were currently in eighth place in the league with twenty points from twelve matches played. Tom Robinson was making his first start for Thackley and Jordan Rouse returned at full back, Paul Whiteley moving to his more familiar midfield role.

It was the home side that started the better, pushing Thackley back into their own half for the first ten to fifteen minutes. Although they were having most of the possession, the Athersley forwards were being contained by the Thackley defence. As the game progressed, the Dennyboys were seeing more of the ball and midway through the half nearly went in front. Dan Broadbent’s shot deflected off Craig Laight and looked to be looping into the net but home keeper Ellis Halpine pushed the ball for a corner. Thackley created a bit of pressure around the half hour mark, winning a number of corners with little end result. The remainder of the half was a pretty even affair, both defences were on top, neither set of forwards were able to penetrate into the danger area. When half time arrived the game was scoreless, neither keeper had really been tested.

Half time: Athersley Recreation 0 Thackley 0.

The Dennyboys went in front a couple of minutes into the second half, Tom Robinson opening his Thackley account with a great strike from the right, the ball going across the keeper into the top corner. It was Thackley’s turn to boss the game and on the hour they went close again, Broadbent getting his head to Robinson’s lob into the box but the ball went over the bar. The Dennyboys went two up midway through the half, George Eustance chasing Robinson’s ball over the top, he beat both a defender and Halpine to it, rounded the keeper and slotted into the empty net. A well worked move down the right culminated in Thackley getting their third. Again Robinson was the provider, his cross was headed away, Broadbent picked up the loose ball and fired it into the net. The nearest Athersley came to scoring followed a poor clearance from Matt Convey, his only mistake of the afternoon, substitute McCauley Shillitto’s shot going just wide of the upright. Thackley made changes, Craig Bentham and Ben Joyce coming on for Braodbent and Robinson. Eustance had a couple of efforts pushed away before he scored his second goal, cutting inside and firing an unstoppable shot across Halpine. Declan Howe replaced Ryan Farrell late on before the referee called time on proceedings.

Full time: Athersley Recreation 0 Thackley 4.

Athersley started the better but Thackley gradually took control of the game. In the second half there was only one team in it, they scored four good goals and kept a clean sheet. Athersley striker, Kai Hancock, is the league’s second leading scorer with fourteen goals, Josh Snowden made sure he never had a shot of note all afternoon.

No midweek game for the Dennyboys this week, next Saturday they entertain AFC Mansfield for the first time. The Bulls were only founded in 2012 and have made rapid progress up the leagues to win promotion to the Premier Division last season.

Athersley Recreation team: Halpine; Scully; A White (Shillitto); Kilburn; Laight; R White (C); Graves (Smith); Briscoe (Owen); Hancock; Almond; Johnson. Subs not used: Hodgson; Welford.

Thackley team: Convey; Rouse; Hargreaves; McGuire (C); White; Snowden; Farrell (Howe 86 mins); Whiteley; Broadbent (Bentham 80 mins); Robinson (Joyce 85 mins); Eustance. Subs not used: Scott; Wilson.

Thackley scorers: Tom Robinson 48 mins; George Eustance 69 and 86 mins; Dan Broadbent 76 mins.

Attendance: 117.

Photo: Josh Snowden - kept Athersley leading scorer at bay all afternoon. Photo by The Saturday Boy