Baht’atters Progress in the Cup
Ilkley Town 3-1 Swallownest FC
In the first round of the Northern Counties East League (NCEL) Cup, Ilkley Town AFC overcame a resilient Swallownest FC side 3-1 with an organised display, writes Matt Lambe. A frantic first half gave Sam Dexter’s side a two-goal cushion despite trailing after 10 minutes, before a goalless second half sealed the Baht’atters’ progression to the second round.
Despite their eventual progression, Ilkley’s Cup campaign got off to a disastrous start as the visitors took the lead within six minutes. Their early tenacity was rewarded with a stunning strike from Thomas Atkinson, coming from a lob outside the box.
However, Town responded almost immediately, courtesy of Dan Smith. His measured finish wrong-footed Swallownest goalkeeper Jake Sykes for his second goal is as many games, after Toby Marriott’s strong run.
Only seven minutes later, Ilkley had fully reversed their fortunes and took the lead through Marriott. He guided the ball around the grounded Sykes before slotting home, but not without controversy. Swallownest protested Joe Snowden got the final touch from an offside position, but thankfully the linesman deemed the ball to have already crossed the line.
The Baht’atters then assumed control of the game and were unlucky not to add an immediate third. James Nightingale outmuscled both opposing central midfielders before playing in Kevin Gonzalez, but his effort failed to test Sykes.
After Swallownest were able to defend a string of attacks, the Baht’atters eventually overwhelmed them in the 33rd minute. Ilkley played on the ground through the thirds, with the move flowing from Thierry Hendrickson to Smith then to Marriott, whose powerful strike struck the crossbar before bouncing in.
In the second 45, Swallownest’s Ben Marro received a sin bin for foul language aimed at the referee, resulting in a 10 minute spell with Ilkley having a numerical advantage.
During these 10 minutes, the Baht’atters came agonisingly close to extending their lead on multiple occasions. Most notably, Gonzalez and Snowden both saw efforts blocked on the line within five seconds of each other. Additionally, Gonzalez squandered an opportunity, shooting wide with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Town continued to press forward, and Lewin Storton almost bagged his first goal from full back, but his low effort was denied by Sykes. The goalkeeper recorded another save moments later, this time from Smith.
In the final 20 minutes, Swallownest regained their composure and began searching for a comeback; a spectacular effort flashed just wide, a 25 yard free kick was marginally over, while striker Billy Stafford missed a header into an open goal.
Ilkley’s defence held firm to shut out the visitors’ late flurry of attacks, and Matthew Keen produced a fine save at point blank range, while Jay Harris and George Pearson both executed vital tackles in the defensive third.
Ultimately, this proved to be the final action, ensuring Dexter’s side progressed into the second round of the NCEL League Cup with a comprehensive victory.
Looking to the future, attention returns to the league as Ilkley Town welcome Selby Town to the MPM Stadium on Saturday 10 August (3pm), before hosting South Leeds on Saturday 17 August at 3pm.
Photo credit: Nigel Owen