The Scotts for Storage Wensleydale League is back up and running with hopes high of another competitive season.
Nine teams have entered the league with Richmond Mavericks and Richmond Town Reserves both leaving, but Richmond Town entering an academy team and Leyburn Utd also joining with a squad full of players who have graduated from their junior ranks.
With the departure of two of their main rivals, last season’s league winners Unicorn will be hoping for another good year.
And the Newbiggin pub team managed back to back wins in the opening week, although were made to work hard for the points.
On Saturday, the Richmond team beat Carperby 4-1 away, although the score did not tell the whole story.
Carperby had the better of the first half, but Unicorn’s quality shone through when a superb diagonal ball was controlled and finished expertly by Bailey Proudlock.
Carperby deservedly got level before half-time when Tim Weatherill’s through ball was chased down by Sam Lambert, who lobbed the on-rushing keeper David Mutch to finish.
The start of the second half was fairly even with both sides getting chances, and Carperby thought they had taken the lead when Matty Bradley volleyed a falling ball first time but his superb effort cannoned off the post.
Unicorn then broke forward from the rebound with Proudlock picking up the ball wide left. He cut inside past three players before slotting the ball into the far corner.
Unicorn then punished Carperby who were shell-shocked by the goal and scored a third with Liam Reeves netting.
As Carperby pushed forward to try and get back in the game, Unicorn got a fourth through Brandon Bishop to make sure of the points through..
Unicorn then entertained new boys Leyburn on Wednesday evening and took a 3-0 lead into half-time with Leyburn struggling to deal with the Richmond team’s aerial threat and set pieces.
The second half was a different story however with Leyburn pressing as a team and forcing errors.
Leyburn pulled two goals back through fine solo efforts from James Wise and Olly Scott, and pressed for an equaliser.
Unicorn hung on though with keeper Mutch making two excellent stops in the dying seconds.
Elsewhere, Hawes and Catterick played out a thrilling game with Hawes taking the points thanks to a 4-3 win.
Hawes took the lead through Kory Spink only for Catterick to level thanks to a 30-yard thunderbolt from Connor Dagnall.
In the second half, Hawes raced into a 4-1 lead thanks to two goals from Luke Wilkinson and one from Jordan Iveson, including a disputed penalty for handball against Catterick’s Gavin Rudd, who was on the floor when the ball hit him.
Angered by this decision, Catterick stormed back with Jez Mortimer’s scoring twice, but Hawes clung on.
Catterick did record their first win on Wednesday with a 6-3 victory over Richmond Town Academy, who had won their opening game on Saturday, beating Reeth 7-3.
A minute’s silence was held before the game in memory of eight-year-old Catterick Garrison junior player Joshua Slater, who was tragically killed this week in a car accident.
Academy were 1-0 up at the break, but Catterick drew level within two minutes when a Jez Mortimer cushioned header found Jake Oakes who volleyed home.
Catterick then scored twice to take the lead, with a bullet header by Gav Rudd finding the corner the top corner and Alex Boyle netting after coming away with the ball following a challenge with the keeper.
Academy capitalised on a defensive mix up to make it 3-2, before Catterick 16-year-old winger Charlie Tomlinson burst down the right and cut back for Neil Wright to finish.
Another Catterick teenager Riley Harrison then scored with a header, only for Academy to pull a goal back.
The points were secure however when Tomlinson finished from a tight angle.
Carperby got their first points on Wednesday with a 5-3 win away at Hawes thanks to a perfect hat-trick from youngster Luke Dent.
Dent started the scoring when he closed down the keeper to win the ball back, before getting past him and finishing past the defender on the line with his right foot. Hawes got level after the dangerous Ben Fawcett got in down the left to score.
Dent put Carperby back in front after great work from Sam Lambert saw the ball come back for Dent to fire an excellent left footed volley in off the post.
Fawcett then equalised again, with a left footed volley of his own going in off the post into the Carperby goal, after they only half cleared a corner.
The away side got in front again before halftime, when Dent turned provider for Sam Lambert, with his expert flick on sending Lambert through to clinically lob over the out rushing Jim Guy in goal for Hawes.
Carperby gave themselves breathing space early in the second half, when Dent completed his hat-trick with a bullet header from a Dave Fullerton cross.
Hawes never gave up though, and after controversially having a penalty turned away, they looked to be back in the game when Brett Calvert headed home yet another dangerous Luke Wilkinson set piece.
As the home side pressed for an equaliser, Carperby broke forward in stoppage time to secure the points with Matty Bradley’s ball falling to Sam Lambert, with the big striker finishing past Guy to get his second of the night.
Elsewhere, Spennithorne started the league season with a win beating Askrigg 5-3 after a narrow defeat
Spenni still started the game quickly with Joe Walker nodding home a header after five minutes.
Spenni continued to press and had made it 3-0 within half an hour with goals from Lee Davison and Kalem Stanger.
Askrigg got one back before half time through Jake Cockerill but Luke Circo quickly responded to that to make it 4-1 going into the break.
Tom Partridge grabbed a fifth with Askrigg scoring late through Steven Teasdale and Jack Dalton.
Results
Hawes 3-5 Carperby
Richmond Town Reserves 3-6 Catterick Garrison
Spennithorne 5-3 Askrigg
Carperby 1-4 Unicorn
Hawes 4-3 Catterick Garrison
Fixtures – September 9
Catterick Garrison v Askrigg
Leyburn v Carperby
Reeth v Spennithorne
Unicorn v Hawes
