Emley made it 5 league games unbeaten at home with a 1-0 win over West Yorkshire rivals Ossett United at the Fantastic Media Welfare Ground, the win ensured a league double and whitewash for Emley who thrashed Ossett 4-0 at Ingfield back in October.

It was an unhappy return to the Welfare Ground for James Walshaw, who finished his playing stint at Emley to go and manage struggling Ossett, but Emley showed their old mate no mercy.

The 1-0 score perhaps doesn't tell the whole story, Emley were far more comfortable than it suggests and had we had more of a cutting edge up top, the scoreline could have been bigger, although some credit has to go Walshaw's side who battled well after a red card early in the second half and caused a couple of problems for Emley.

The first half was a bit of a scrappy affair, with no real outstanding chances in the first 10 minutes, Sorhaindo had the first chance of the game on 11 minutes but he couldn't get enough on a Hardaker cross, Emley's defence were then on hand to block an Ossett turn and shot and after a swift Emley move, Alex Metcalfe fired over from 18 yards after a corner wasn't properly cleared.

Emley were doing most of the attacking, Ossett being very aggressive in defence to try and stop them, a free kick just outside the box for Emley saw Ross Hardaker shoot over, Metcalfe was involved again on the half hour, another corner wasn't dealt with and after trying a couple of headers that were blocked, Metcalfe then launched an acrobatic overheard kick wide.

It felt like it was only a matter of time before the deadlock was broken, and sure enough, a minute before half time, The Pewits struck, Ossett couldn't clear the ball and after a couple of throw ins were seen off, Hardaker got the next one right, teasing a ball into the danger zone where Adam Clayton slipped the defender and guided a lovely header into the corner of the net from a deft flick on by an Ossett defender.

There was delight and relief for Emley, who, unusually were attacking the shed in the first half, we had dominated proceedings but had little to show for it until now.

H/T- Emley 1-0 Ossett United

There was a half time substitution for Emley as Mo Qasim was replaced by Donae Lawrence, Lawrence making an impact straight away with some powerful runs down the right flank.

On 50 minutes, Ossett were reduced to 10 men, their aggressive tackling went too far with a shocking challenge on Berchil from Walters that saw the referee flash the red instantaneously, Ossett's task had now got even harder.

Emley would now look to put the visitors to the sword, Lawrence continued his marauding down the right, a couple of shots were straight at the keeper and he also saw an attempted ball across the face of goal blocked.

Most of the attacking was coming from Emley, attacking the Warburton end, the Ossett fans had very little to shout about, although they did put an attack together just past the hour but a header was comfortable over the bar.

Emley were getting through the United midfield with ease and with regularity, but couldn't find the finishing touches in and around the box, Berchil and Hardaker were both denied as despite space in the area, they saw shots blocked, Berchil then went on one of his trademark runs across the outside of the box, he eventually ran out of space and failed to get a shot away.

Berchil was a livewire as usual and some neat interplay between him and Chris Dawson set up Sorhaindo but he couldn't get a shot on target and it flew over, Berchil then saw a snapshot from close in also clear the bar as Emley were becoming ever more wasteful in front of goal.

A double change for the Pewits saw Sorhaindo replaced by Nathan Curtis and Joe Kenny make way for debutant Hayden Lindley, just as Ossett enjoyed their best attacking spell of the entire game, a good break down their right looked dangerous but Harry Sheppeard timed his defensive run superbly, he then produced an outrageous bit of skill just inside his own area to leave the attacker totally bewildered and wondering where the ball was.

A few minutes later and the men in pink created a good chance to possibly snatch an equaliser when a shot across the face of goal flashed wide, a reminder to Emley that the game wasn't won and the Pewits would need to fight for the three points.

Another sub for Emley saw the industrious Dawson replaced by Belchior Rodrigues as Emley looked for a second, killer goal that would have put the game to bed, but they were made to wait by a stubborn Ossett defence, Charlie Barks looked to join his centre back partner Clayton on the scoresheet but his header sailed inches over the bar.

Ossett, to their credit never gave up and looked for a way back, but Emley's back line held firm, protecting Lambton in goals who didn't have very much to do, Emley looked like they would finally round things off when Curtis latched on to a stray ball and with the keeper off his line, but the angle wasn't good for a shot and he ended up seeing down time in the corner instead.

There was a fairly nervy 4 added minutes as Emley held on to their lead but relief and celebration when the final whistle blew, Emley had another 3 points, another clean sheet, and meant they had whitewashed their local rivals 5-0 in our first ever league meetings and the Pewits fans in the day's biggest crowd in the division cheered their team off the pitch.

Second placed Belper's defeat, their fourth in a row, meant that Emley have now closed the gap to just 2 points with 2 games in hand, as we make the trip East on Tuesday to face North Ferriby in a rearranged game.

F/T-Emley 1-0 Ossett United

Attendance- 602

Emley- Lambton, Sheppeard, Hardaker, Metcalfe[c], Barks, Clayton, Kenny, Dawson, Sorhaindo, Qasim, Berchil:
Subs used- Lawrence, Curtis, Lindley, Rodrigues;
Unused- Porritt.

Goal- Clayton (44')

WM Sykes Man of the Match- Adam Clayton