Otley Tavern 6 Cookridge Hall 3

TAVERN celebrated only their second game since November by closing the gap on the Wharfedale Triangle Division One pacesetters.

A hat-trick from Tom Caton helped them to an easy win over Cookridge Hall.

The first couple of minutes saw Tavern scrambling to get into the game and they found themselves 2-0 down after just five minutes.

Tavern eventually brushed off the cobwebs and settled down as they tried to turn the game around.

Good work from Tom Twist and Mitch Lambert-Tuthil in the middle of the park created space for Caton to grab a goal back.

This was quickly followed by an equaliser from Johnny Weedon after good work from Matt Howarth and Caton on the left wing.

Tavern were calling the tune with Tom Twist and Lambert-Tuthill breaking up the play in the middle and creating space for Caton who rifled the ball into the bottom corner from 25 yards to give his side the lead.

It was 4-2 before half time as Adam Walwyn and Caton combined well once more, giving Walwyn the space and time needed to calmly slot past the Cookridge keeper.

The second half began much as the first ended with Tavern keeping the pressure on and Caton was soon rewarded with his hat-trick. Good work from Ben Lawton and Howarth down the right wing resulted in Twist supplying the through ball which Caton finished coolly.

The Tavern defence seemed to relax and allowed Cookridge to pull a goal back to make it 5-3

Substitutes Tom Sharp and Jev Pullan were introduced and combined well with Caton. It was Pullan who placed the ball past the keeper to put the game out of reach of Cookridge.

Caton had a chance for his fourth goal but hit powerful header from Sharp's cross was brilliantly saved.