Years of hard work pays for Overthorpe

The pitch has been developed from a large sloping cricket field at a cost of around £80,000 and has taken almost five years to complete.

This has been funded with a three way partnership between the club, the Football Foundation, who contributed around £20,000, and £33,500 from Dewsbury Area Committee.

The club would like to thank local councillors Khizar Iqbal, Salim Patel and Masood Ahmed for their support throughout the long process of getting the pitch in place.

The club have now embarked on a new project to upgrade changing facilities and it is hoped that such a huge investment in facilities will result in greater sporting participation and the chance to stage representative game.

Overthorpe failed to deliver in their first game on their new ground as they lost to Mirfield Town in Heavy Woollen Sunday League Division One.

Town opened brightly with Aron Kennedy to the fore and he made history by becoming the first player to score on the new pitch.

Joshua Harrison played a fine through ball to him on the left and Kennedy showed great composure to lob advancing Mirfeld goalkeeper Steve Hughes for a fine goal.

Kennedy almost repeated the trick but Mirfield centre-half and captain Richard Hodgson hooked the ball off the line.

Mirfield equalised wth a similar goal to Kennedy’s when fine play between Rowan Evans and Nial Raymond saw the latter finish with a neat chip over Steve Holt in the Overthorpe goal.

Evans put Mirfield in front with a neat finish from a fine cross by Anthony Owens and Evans returned the favour shortly after when his deft header released Owens and he slotted home past Holt and seal victory.