Liversedge FC are five alive against Stocksbridge to stay in top spot ahead of crunch match

Sedge are on top spot with a superior goal difference, but will have to travel to Marske before a quick turnaround for a West Yorkshire Derby with Brighouse Town on Easter Monday, writes Kieran Archer.

The West Yorkshire side started slowly and gifted early chances to the Steels with the pick of these being Nat Crofts breaking onto a poor clearance and driving a shot just wide.

However, Stocksbridge gifted the home side a chance to take the lead with a sloppy handball in the area as a corner was swung in.

Alfie Raw stepped up. but failed to maintain his 100 per cent penalty record as on-loan Huddersfield keeper Mikey Roxburgh tipped the low shot onto the post. However, Ben Atkinson followed in and confidently converted the rebound for his fourth goal in five games.

Josh Nodder looked to make it a quick response when he attempted to catch Max Dearnley off his line and was not far away from finding the goal from long range.

Former Stocksbridge man Lewis Whitham was keen to impress and played Gav Allott through with an excellent pass, but Roxburgh was equal to his one-on-one effort.

Sedge eventually doubled their lead through a Nicky Walker spectacular on the stroke of half-time.

Connor Smythe played a looping long ball and Walker hit it first time as it dropped into the bottom of the far corner.

Liversedge were perhaps lucky to lead comfortably after an open first half, but the home side ran away with it in the second.

The lead was extended by Allott when he reacted first after Whitham’s powerful driven free-kick was parried and the striker intuitive flicked it home with his heel.

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Whitham finally got his deserved goal against his old club and it was well worth the wait.

The winger was released down the right-hand side and he cut into the box on his weaker left foot before curling a low shot into the far corner.

Sedge’s Huddersfield loanee Max Dearnley had to go off injured, which will undoubtedly cause some concern for the Clayborn faithful ahead of a crucial weekend.

But Jordan Porter, who started the season as Sedge’s number one, was available to replace him and had a positive return to action.

The keeper got an assist from his time on the pitch as the Stocksbridge defence failed to clear his big kick and Nicky Walker broke onto the end of it to deftly flick over Roxburgh for his second of the game.

With a professional job done, Liversedge can finally turn their attention to the trip to Marske which has long been earmarked as a possible decider.

However, there is still a lot of work to be done after that game, with a home derby against Brighouse followed by a trip to Worksop for the last game of the season.

Liversedge: Dearnley (Porter, 64); Raw, Tarangadzo, K Harris, Smythe; S Harris, Stockdill, Atkinson (Fearon 77); N Walker, Allott (Walton 70), Whitham. Subs (unused): P Walker, Steers.

Stocksbridge: Roxburgh; Lemon, Cooksey, Fielding, Tinker; Crofts, Turner, Goodwin, Nodder; Mangham, Guest (Finlaw 59). Subs (unused): Trench, O’Connor, Ring.

Attendance: 467

Referee: David Jones

Man of the Match: Nicky Walker (Liversedge).

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