PILKINGTON responded to last week’s defeat to title rivals Daten by beating Styal 3-0 to move back to the top of Cheshire Division One.

The opening exchanges of the game were very much the same as when these two sides met earlier in the season. Pilks with all the possession in the opening 15 minutes but unable to put the ball into the net.

They missed 4-5 chances with both Rory Campbell and Adam Dixon having clear sights on goal only to be denied by good saves from the keeper. As Styal settled down into the game they started to create their own chances and really should have gone ahead themselves.

The breakthrough came on the 25th minute when a great ball from Ian Frazer picked out Luke Sephton who skipped past the defender before cutting it back to Dixon to slot home.

Dixon was denied again five minute later when a Sephton’s fell to him and he steered it past the keeper only for it to be scrambled off the line.

Sephton was again his usual menacing self and had a couple of sighters as half time approached but the chance of the game feel to Boylan. After a good lay off from Sephton he found himself on the penalty spot with a large space to aim at but somehow he uncharacteristically placed it wide.

Pilks should have been out of sight in the first half and it looked like they were going to pay for this as Styal started the second half much stronger. They were stretching Pilks who looked nervous on the ball and were unlucky to see the ball hit the bar on the 60th minute.

Against the run of play though Pilks managed to grab the goal that finally settled them down. Matty Taylor pressed the full back well to win the ball back and played in Sephton who slipped the ball under the advancing keeper.

Pilks now seemed a little more comfortable but Styal were still posing a threat and the game wasn’t dead and buried yet. Finally though, with 13 minutes left, a handball decision resulted in a Luke Sephton penalty that was dispatched with ease to kill the game off.

The game was now effectively over and Pilks enjoyed the final ten minutes, again creating a few chances to stretch the lead.

The best of which was Brad Smailes who cut inside and beat the keeper only to see the defender scramble back and save it again off the line.