Silsden 0-3 Cheadle Town
So that's that. We'll pick the bones out of the 16-17 season in the coming weeks when we review what happened but, as far as the here and now is concerned, it has been a wonderful end to the season.
Another solid performance against a half-decent Silsden outfit continued our barnstorming end to the campaign: 5 consecutive victories with 20 goals scored and just the 3 conceded.
The clean sheet was admirably maintained by John McIlwaine.
He was called into action as early as the 2nd minute to make a good parry and then thwarted their no10 who was through on goal just after the half-hour mark. Had he not been successful with an amazing double save on 58 minutes it wouldn't have counted anyhow (as the linesman's flag was up) but that would be unfair to tarnish a remarkable stop.
By that time we were two goals to the good thanks to a double from Rhys Webb in the first half.
We had already seen Mike Sherrington denied at the last by the Silsden keeper before Rhys collected the ball on the edge of the box on the 18th minute with two markers in attendance; shifting the ball inside onto his right foot he then curled a beauty into the corner of the net.
With just two minutes of the first half remaining he set off down the left and into the area with, again, two Silsden defenders tracking his every move. With consummate patience he waited for said minders to commit themselves before cutting inside and driling home from close range.
That was goal number 26 for Rhys and in the second half he should have clocked up numbers 27 and 28.
Benefiting from a kind ricochet off the referee's heel he was clear on goal only for him to lash his effort horribly wide and then on the 80th minute was perhaps given far too much time to think as he had all the time in the world in the box to pick his spot but ended up curling it wide.
It was at this point that Dane Smith entered the field to reprise his unfamilar role up front for the third time this season.
Surely convinced that his chance to get on the season's scoresheet had passed against Atherton LR the week before when he somehow missed from a yard out, he mustn't have believed his luck when Rick Whyatt's benevolence gave him another opportunity two minutes into stoppage time and with the last kick of the match.
Through on the right and looking set to score, Rick unselfishly squared for Dane....
For me to report that the whole Cheadle bench erupted as if we had won the First Division title should tell you that he managed to crash home a left-footed howitzer into the top corner, bringing a not-so-perfect season to the most perfect end possible.
And let's remember it that way.
Summer beckons and with it focus on 17-18. Watch this space for a review of what went before it.
TEAM: McIlwaine, Todd, Banda, German, Tongue, Pearson (Burton), Hincks, Blackwell (Smith), M Sherrington (Whyatt), Webb, Dunn. SUBS: Burton, Whyatt, Smith (gk)
