Sporting Armley scraped through to the 3rd round of the Cliff Pagdin Divisional Trophy with an nervous 3-2 victory away to 3rd division Cricketers Arms.
With Glenn King restored to the Armley defence alongside Richard Moses, Phil Wheeler and Mark Pearson, Gareth Knight was shuffled once again, this time pushed up front to partner Danny Goulden.
Michael Bowe and captain Kevin Bruce took their place in centre mid, with Bryant Coldwell on the right wing and James Lee on the left. John Moses completed the line-up between the sticks.
There was an unusually quiet atmosphere at kick off, and Armley struggled to get into the game, falling behind after just 10 minutes. Richard Moses sliced a clearance inside the penalty area which eventually dropped on the edge of the box. With no Armley player able to make a challenge, the ball was sidefooted past John Moses from range with the big keeper rooted to the spot.
Armley have a habit of coming back from behind this season, and they did it again with two goals before the break to lead 2-1.
The first goal was a quick breakaway move that ended up with a rather spectacular, if fortuitous goal for winger Bryant Coldwell.
Richard Moses intercepted a through ball in his own box, and passed to Kev Bruce on the edge of the area. Bruce played Coldwell away down the right, and he raced away unchallenged into the Cricketers half.
With Goulden and Knight rushing into the opponent's penalty area, Coldwell attempted a deep crossfield ball which suddenly took flight in the strong winds and looped over the keeper and into the top left corner for his first ever Armley goal.
Sporting were in the ascendency and continued to press forward, earning themselves a corner kick. With everyone expecting a cross into the box, Danny Goulden played a neat short corner with Mark Pearson. The confusion caused in the Cricketers defence was punished when Pearson played Goulden through on goal, and the big striker sidefooted low through a crowd of players to put his side in front.
In the second half Karl Smith made a welcomed return to the Armley team, coming on for Phil Wheeler who was carrying an injury. Bryant Coldwell moved to right back as Smith took up his old position on right wing.
Unfortunately for Armley, the change occurred at just the wrong time, as Cricketers forced the ball past Moses after a scramble in the box. John Moses had seconds earlier parried a shot acrobatically to his right, but his side failed to clear and the ball came right back at him and into the net for 2-2.
Dean Russell was then introduced for Michael Bowe, with Knight moving back into his favoured central midfield role. The game was evenly matched, and extra time looked a real opportunity.
Armley were gifted a huge stroke of luck when a fierce Cricketers strike glanced off the leg of Glenn King and cannoned back off the crossbar.
Eventually the game was won with a stroke of individual genius from Russell, who collected the ball on the left wing, cutting inside and firing a low shot past the diving keeper from just outside the box.
