THESE two sides showed just why they dominated the league last season after another ding-dong battle.

The scoreline may suggest that champions Oswaldtwistle ran away with it, but two late goals disguise the fact that it was a lot closer.

Oswaldtwistle got off to a dream start when they scored straight from the kick-off. Kenny Hill fed the ball to Joe Byrom who released Mark Turnbull down the middle and he raced through to score.

Huncoat were shell-shocked momentarily but responded with a rapid attack down the right.

Playing with the wind, John Pearce latched onto a long ball and his surging run ended with a cross that keeper Kieren Hargreaves did well to hold on to.

Dan Pilkington then went close for Ossie with a long range effort before Hill nearly extended their lead.

However Huncoat showed just why the finished as runners-up last season when they grabbed a wonderful individual goal through Pearce.

The speedy wide man controlled a long ball with a neat header, beat his marker for pace before cutting across the covering defender and slotting the ball under the keeper.

If that was the goal of the match, then moments later Hargreaves produced the save of the match.

Again Pearce was involved and his cross was headed towards the top corner by Liam Wright but Hargreaves managed to get his finger tips to the ball and tip it over for a corner.

Huncoat stopper Michael Ryan then produced two good saves of his own to deny Chris McGrath and then Turnbull. But Ossie got the vital breakthrough just before half time when Hill's dangerous cross across the six yard area was turned in by the impressive Daniel Clarkson at the far post. As expected, Oswaldtwistle dominated for large periods of the second half as they played with the wind. But Huncoat refused to buckle.

Ryan was called into action again to save from Turnbull then did even better to stop a powerful drive from Kurt Smithson.

Huncoat hit back though and Pearce should have done better with a free kick that hit the wall before he found Adam McCormack with a good ball. But his shot was well saved by Hargreaves.

Clarkson should have extended Oswaldtwistle's lead but he shot into the side netting then fired wide from an acute angle.

But Ossie's pressure paid off and when Byrom was tripped in the penalty area, the big playmaker picked himself up to score from the spot.

And any hopes of another Huncoat fightback were thwarted in their very next attack when Hill scored after Chris Beagham hit the post.

Oswaldtwistle United: Kieren Hargreaves, Kurt Smithson, Rob Charnock, Daniel Clarkson, Chris Beagham, Adam Sanderson, Chris McGrath, Kenny Hill, Mark Turnbull, Chris Burton, Lee Biggins, Dan Pilkington, Joe Byrom and Matt Hindle.

Huncoat United: Michael Ryan, Gary Flood, Ricky Wells, Ben Bray, John Pearce, Graham Sneddon, Liam Wright, Karl Pate, Andrew Watson, Ben Nichols, Paul Cross, Leon Moore and Adam McCormack.

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