The Miners recorded their first win of 2016 after a hard-fought victory over Liversedge in a bitterly cold evening on Cedar Ridge.

The evening saw a welcome return from injury for Ashley Preece who replaced Harry McMillan, and one more change saw George Conway replace Jordan Outerbridge, both him and McMillan taking a place on the bench.

The first chance of the game arrived in the first minute when Conway's through-ball put through Curtly Martin-Wyatt but Christian Thewlis in the Sedge goal was alert to the danger and came out of his goal to block him. On three mins a counter attack by the visitors saw Brandon Kane broke clear of the defence, despite having Rhys Jenkinson in space to his right he opted to shoot but his effort was too close to the onrushing Tom Osborne and Garforth managed to clear.

The visitors' pace up front was causing us problems and their pressing high up the field forced the Garforth defence into errors. James Riordan wasn't far off opening the scoring on 9 mins with an audacious 40-yard effort just wide, and shortly after a mistake at the back let in Rhys Davies who could only shoot well wide.

Davies didn't need asking twice though and on 15 mins a neat one-two between him and Vaughan Redford split the defence for Davies to slide the ball past Osborne and put his side ahead.

Town immediately set out for an equalizer and a couple of corners won saw us back on level terms. Spencer Lund was the man to take them, the second on 20 mins was headed on to George Kidd who half volleyed into the net through a crowd of players. A first goal for the former Oldham scholar since joining last month.

The remainder of the first half chances fell to Liversedge and had they been more clinical things could well have turned out differently. Kane shot over from the edge of the box from Regan Fish's cross and a Redford strike was deflected wide by a defender. Davies volleyed wide through a packed defence on 31 mins and then four mins later Fish's goalbound effort was claimed by Osborne.

After the restart Jonathan Rimington's side seemed to have lost momentum as the Miners came quickest out of the traps. We had to endure a penalty appeal from the visitors though seven mins in when Jenkinson went down under challenge on the edge of the box. Referee Nick Hawksby wasn't having any of it however and waved away the protests.

A break forward on the hour mark saw Thewlis block Martin-Wyatt's shot, the loose ball sadly evading an awaiting Conway. On 64 mins though Town went ahead when Conway raced forward and his shot was diverted out wide by a defender to Danny Harris who was able to force the ball home past Thewlis from an acute angle.

A good spell for Sedge around the 75 minute mark saw Redford fire over the bar on the edge of the box and Davies shoot straight at Osborne. Garforth managed a couple of chances of their own in the final minutes; man of the match Preece almost made it a dream return when his header from Tim Robertson's free kick brought a save from Thewlis. A late chance then came Martin-Wyatt's way when Robertson put him through but he could only shoot straight at the keeper. A bit of a lean spell for our top scorer at the minute but a return to form can't be far off.

A much-needed victory for Adie Costello's men to reward the improved performances of the last three games and a big shot in the arm for a couple of tough-looking fixtures ahead. Up the Miners!