Town win a game of 2 fives

Leigh were languishing at the foot of the league table going into this cup match.
The look of the table can be quite deceptive. Garforth were only three points above their opponents, and had played three more games.

Add in the fact that Leigh had beaten their visitors 1-0 at Crilly park weeks before, and humbled Town 0-5 at the Genix Healthcare stadium back in March, this was always going to be a battle.

As for the pitch... heavy rain over the previous week and a match played on it the night before, gave it that old fashioned cup tie farmers' field look.

Dom Blair partnered Walker up front, with Priestley making do with a place on the bench.

From the start, conditions played their part. The ball was bouncing unpredictably, or sticking, or even skidding away from players feet.
Both teams did their best for little reward.
At least the work ethic of Garforth couldn't be blighted by the mud. They defended from the front, giving Leigh no time to settle on the ball.

Fisher had a half-chance after fine one touch play between Small, Walker and Normanschild found him on the edge of the box. His curling cross-shot just drifting over the far post.

Brendan Wood had to be replaced by Lee Kelsey in the first half after picking up an injury while trying to thwart a Nick Eastham effort.

That was it for action in the first half.

Some Garforth supporters were mulling over whether to watch another possibly event free half from the window of the cosy bar as the teams kicked off for the second half.

Fifteen minutes later it really kicked off.

A challenge by Ben Small on Joe Evans sparked a mass of handbag waving by virtually every player on the pitch.

After conferring with both assistants, the referee produced red cards for Ben Small and Declan Normanschild of Garforth and Leigh players Joe Evans and Paul Williams.

With plenty of room on the pitch, Town took advantage and took the game by the scruff of the neck.

Jamie Price had a close range effort brilliantly stopped on the line by the knee of Leigh defender Steve Brockley.

Fifteen minutes from time, Chris Fisher grabbed the opener by rounding the keeper, after being put through by the sublime Walker.

Adam Priestley was relishing the space after coming on and looked like scoring every time he got the ball.

He did score on eighty five minutes, after playing a nice one-two with Walker and calmly slotting home.
A minute later, the favour was returned when Priestley teed up Walker to tap in his first of the season.

On eighty eight minutes, Walker was through against the keeper, when he was clipped from behind by Scott Sephton, who was then sent off.

Priestley completed the rout when he plucked a great ball from Fisher out of the air whilst on the run, and tucked it away.

The Town players and management got a great ovation from the supporters, who'd also been magnificent.

Then it was back to that cosy bar for a celebratory shandy.

See the video section for match highlights, or alternatively...

http://www.youtube.com/user/garforthtoffee?feature=mhum