Silsden AFC 1 Alport 2
 
An 88th minute winner from the most unlikely of sources helped Alport become the first side to come away from league leaders Silsden with any points this season. Young defender Ryan Thomas stepped up to smash a stunning volley past Callum Jakovlevs with time running out to spark wild scenes of celebration amongst the large away contingent. The Reds needed to overturn a half-time deficit in West Yorkshire after Chris Wademan had given the hosts a 14th minute lead. But once Joe Howell had levelled for Luke Goddard’s side midway through the second half, it was the pre-cursor to a mad few minutes for the hosts whose ill discipline left them with two players receiving their marching orders. And Alport capitalised by making the extra men count applying relentless pressure for the last 15 minutes.
 
Silsden got off to a great start when Joe Gaughan slipped in strike partner Wademan and he out-paced Hovik Nersesyan before confidently firing past Danny Read. Arron Johns almost hit back for Whitchurch with an immediate response only to see his angled drive fizz narrowly over the top. Gaughan then fired wide with the sort of chance that has seen him race to the top of the goalscorers chart in the First Division, and there were stifled claims for a penalty a minute before the break when Niall Sultan took a tumble in the box. With Silsden bemoaning their luck, Jakovlevs did well to hold on to Lee Pickerill’s low shot right on half-time.
 
The Reds equalised when Howell was on hand to glance home from Si Everall’s header and all of a sudden the pendulum swung, with the boisterous away support cranking up the decibel levels after the scores became tied.
Incredibly, the home side caved in with two red cards administered to Sultan and Gaughan in the space of four mad minutes that would prove very costly for Danny Forrest’s side. Having won every league game at the Cobbydale Construction Stadium, their walls crumbled as Alport went for the jugular.
 
Inside the last 10 minutes there were two or three excellent openings that almost turned the game on its head but the drama was yet to come. A corner was only partially cleared and Thomas got his body shape spot on to get over the top of the ball and smash it beyond the hapless Silsden keeper. The players ran over to their 70 or so fans on the near touchline who were going crazy and it was a moment to savour with some away fans on the pitch unable to contain their emotions.
 
Everall brought the save of the afternoon out of Jakovlevs when his mazy run ended with a fierce drive towards the bottom corner - only for the glovesman to somehow get down and turn it a fraction wide.
 
An agonising eight minutes of stoppage time was applied but in fairness Alport rarely looked in trouble. And on the sound of the referee’s whistle, players and supporters celebrated together after securing the three points against a full strength Silsden outfit. An eighth straight victory for Alport, but few before it had tasted anything like as sweet as this one!