Both sides looked to get forward in the early stages and the first chance of the afternoon fell to Curtly Martin-Wyatt two minutes in, heading over at the far post Danny Harris' delivery. The visitors then came within a whisker of giving themselves an early lead when Tom Osborne made a brilliant double save on the line to deny Kieran Wells' header then keep out an awaiting Luke Fletcher.

Garforth then went down the other end and a good move ended in Martin-Wyatt putting through George Conway to force a save from Handsworth keeper Andrew Sneath, although the linesman's flag was raised for offside. Shortly after Amber Parras' top scorer Jon Froggett half-volleyed over the bar from a defensive header and Wells headed against the crossbar in a crowded box from Sam Denton's flick-on.

Wells was the dangerman in red and it was no surprise him putting his team ahead on 17 mins with a sublime strike from the edge of the box which flew across Osborne into the top corner.

On 24 mins Handsworth captain Richard Adams looked to have brought down Martin-Wyatt in the box but referee James Price waived away the protests. Moments later Osborne made another good save to block Froggatt's downward header, Wells blazing over the rebound.

A good spell followed for Garforth but without really troubling Sneath in the Ambers goal.

Ten mins into the second half Froggatt was denied by Osborne again from a hotly-disputed free kick, although the offside flag was raised. Drama then ensued when the aforementioned flag developed a technical fault and a replacement had to be found. Despite the change of equipment it was more of the same for the Sheffield side, Wells finding the corner of the net on 69 mins after Simon Harrison's low drive rebounded off the upright, but again the flag was up.

A decent counter-attack from Garforth on 74 mins ended in substitute Mark Simpson racing into the box and forcing a block from Sneath. It had been another solid and hard-working display from the Miners who were still in the game, but sadly this was the only real chance created in the second half and it was the visitors who looked likeliest to score next. On 81 mins Wells hit the post with a curler from the end of the area, but in injury time they had their second when subs Anthony Wilson and Alex Rippon linked up for Rippon to beat the offside trap and finish coolly past Osborne.

Another brave showing against a top side but it was the promotion chasers' superior quality in front of goal which proved the difference. Town take a break from league action on Tuesday when we (hopefully!) host Staveley in the long-awaited league cup tie.