Garforth 3 Eccleshill United 1

Defender Jamie Barkway returned to the starting eleven after missing Saturday's defeat to Barton. The deputising Steven Jeff moved to fullback allowing utility man Jordan Emery to be pushed forward, whilst Jay Davis donned the number 11 shirt over Matt Antcliff who was named a substitute.

An early 20-yard effort from Davis was deflected wide as Town looked to get on top early on. With pretty much their first incursion into the Garforth box however, the visitors took the lead on 14 mins. The ball was worked down the left and played into the box for Zachary Sangster to turn and shoot low across Harry Flatters and into the net. Disappointment among the home supporters wasn't to linger however as two more goals in an eventful three-minute spell turned the tables on the visitors to set us on our way to victory. A Davis corner to the far post was met by Barkway's towering header to level the scoring, his third of the season. Pretty much from the restart, Charlie Marshall made his way into the box to supply Rinor Ejupi to his right to smash home and put us ahead. He too scoring his third of the campaign and putting to bed Saturday's bad day at the office.

On 35 mins The Miners were forced into a change when Jeff took a knock and had to be replaced by Antcliff, with Emery moving back to fullback. Antcliff almost made it three within a couple of minutes of entering the field when he made his way in from the right, but his shot was straight at Eccleshill keeper Ed Wilczynski. Some good play on the edge of the box soon after between Marshall and captain Dan Coupland saw the latter force a good stop from Wilczynski. There was a rare chance for the visitors in injury time when Cole Roberts' curling strike was well held by Flatters.

A decent spell at the start of the second half saw The Miners seek to put the game beyond their opponents, with Wilczynski denying a powerful effort from Davis. We finally made it three on 55 mins when Antcliff burst forward and did well to hold the ball up and find Sam Barker who fired into the bottom corner for his first goal since his brace at Penistone in December.

The rest of the match saw Town struggle for possession but still enjoy the better of the chances against a side who, despite a good passing game, created little of note. Wilczynski kept Antcliff at bay once again when the midfielder expertly controlled a ball in from the left, then a counter attack saw 'The Sheriff' in again, but was denied by a determined defender who'd ran half the length of the field to get his challenge in. From the resulting corner which was half-cleared a vintage Dexter Ball 20-yarder went just wide. Controversy followed moments later when Barker was on the end of a nasty challenge from Shay David Murihead; the substitute escaping with a caution. In injury time Antcliff fired just over the bar after a one-two from a free-kick on the edge of the box.

Some might argue Town should've won this one more handsomely, but it's a second win in three on home soil now as we look to make the Bannister Prentice Stadium the fortress it was back in the autumn. A win for Paul Marshall's side which lifts us back into 6th place and with a superior goal difference to some of our immediate rivals. We have the chance to go back into the play-off positions on Friday evening when we host Pickering Town (kick-off 7:45pm).