By Sam Gillinder
Horsforth St Margaret’s showed some real grit to beat Leeds Modernians 2-0 in their first Leeds and District FA Cup encounter of the season.
With both teams hoping to progress to the next round of this knockout competition, it was Horsforth who emerged victorious.
Leeds Modernians, who play their regular league matches in the Yorkshire Amateur Association Football League Supreme Division, visited King George’s Field on Saturday.
Recent performances have been below par from Horsforth. They have been leaking goals far too much, but this was much better.
Goals from Connor Peat and Jose Borja enabled Horsforth to progress to the next round.
Horsforth came out of the traps like they really wanted to win this.
Connor Peat scored the first goal. Playing on the left wing he found himself ahead of the Leeds defence with a chance one on one with the goalkeeper – his first shot was parried but he made no mistake in ensuring Horsforth went one nil up.
At the halftime whistle Leeds Modernians had been unable to unlock the Horsforth defence and the scores stood at one nil.
In the 70th minute a hugely controversial moment happened. Michael Wood scored with a perfectly legitimate goal, the ball hit something at the back of the net and bounced back onto the field of play, the Horsforth players were already celebrating but the referee had missed it assuming it had hit the post, play continued without the goal being given.
Horsforth remained ahead but the game was in the balance.
When a momentary lapse in concentration by Horsforth gave Leeds a chance to equalise the Horsforth goalkeeper saved an initial shot, the ball fell to a Mods attacker and a second chance was then tipped over the bar. The goalkeeper had been safe at the back all day.
With seconds to go a long ball was cleared forward, Jose Borja latched on to it and duly made the score two nil and the win to Horsforth beyond doubt.
After the match the Horsforth manager Mark Kilbride said: “A lot better performance from the last few weeks. The defence were unreal, every single man I can’t fault, everybody put a hundred percent shift in.
“Brilliant to keep a clean sheet as well, fantastic.”
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