Otley Town 4 Boroughbridge 3(after extra time)

Otley Town staged a remarkable comeback in this League Cup tie to progress to the next round.

From 3-1 down and having had a man sent off, Town recovered to continue their superb run of form and leave the visitors scratching their heads as to how the match slipped from their grasp.

Town were on top for most of the first half – which was played in monsoon conditions – but slack defending saw Boroughbridge score twice in quick succession and leave the home side facing an uphill struggle.

It was crucial that the next goal went Town's way, and it was supplied in fine fashion when striker Toby Harris cut in from the left and unleashed a pile-driver into the roof of the net giving the goalkeeper no chance.

It was 2-1 to Boroughbridge at half-time and Otley emerged for the second period determined to draw level as soon as possible.

However, it was the away side that scored again to re-establish their two goal cushion, following which the game turned ugly for a period with both sets of players guilty of petty fouling and gamesmanship.

It seemed inevitable that someone would see red before long, and it was Harris who received his marching orders for an ill-timed lunge at an opponent, although to most observers a yellow card would have been a more appropriate sanction.

Yet this further setback only served to galvanise the home side, and they soon reduced the arrears when Declan Adams swung a free-kick into the box that evaded everyone and found its way past the keeper.

Despite being down to 10 men, Town were now in the ascendancy, with Josh Waite pulling the strings from midfield, and substitutes Marcus Tan and Jermaine Wilson providing pace and trickery.

It was these three who combined to produce the equaliser, when Tan latched onto a Waite through ball, and when his shot was only half-stopped by the keeper, Wilson was on hand to crash the ball home despite the last ditch attempt of a defender to clear his lines.

With no further goals in normal time, the match went into extra-time, and it was Town who got their noses in front when Adams scored his second of the game – this one an absolute beauty – a 30-yard screamer into the top corner that left the goalkeeper clutching at thin air.

After that, the fight seemed to go out of Boroughbridge, and Otley ran down the clock in relative comfort to emerge 4-3 winners.

The season that once promised little is turning into one to be savoured.

Town were without four regular first team players on Saturday, but it hardly showed as other players stepped up to the mark.

Special mention must go to Joe Currie who defended as if his life depended on it, and Waite who was magnificent when Town were down to tem men, constantly available to receive possession, and then retaining it for his side with barely a wasted pass.

This Saturday Town are back in league action when they visit Shelley (games have now reverted to a 2:30pm kick-off).