Pier beat title rivals Edgehill in crunch clash

The pacesetters opened the scoring after only eight minutes thanks to a 25-yard thunderbolt from Joe Gallagher.

The home side levelled just two minutes later when Martin Cooper cleverly fired a low free-kick when the Edgehill wall jumped and into the net.

Midway through the first half Pier went in front thanks to a stunning free-kick, Niall Gibb curling the ball into the top corner from the right side of the box.

Just before half-time Jamie Bradshaw hit a cracking strike to increase Pier's lead, allowing the ball to come across his body and smash past the Edgehill keeper.

Edgehill piled on the pressure after the interval but Pier held firm, keeper Scott Wardman pulling off a superb reaction save to deny the visitors from close-range.

Pier wrapped up the points with a fourth, Bradshaw hammering home a goal very similar to Gallagher's opener for Edgehill, a 25-yard wonder-strike.

Pier boss Andy Spivey said: "This is a massive win for us, it is in our hands now, but we still have a lot of tough games to play yet.

"It was a great all-round team performance by the lads."

Seamer Sports Reserves hot-shots Nick Hegarty and Chris Stubbings smashed in two goals apiece as their team won 4-0 at home to West Pier Reserves in the Frank White Trophy quarter-final.

A Hegarty header from an early corner put Seamer in charge and former Ayton man Stubbings scored twice before half-time to effectively seal their place in the final four of the competition.

Hegarty rounded off the win in the second half with his second of the game, with the whole Seamer team sharing the man of the match award after a superb all-round performance.

Filey Town Reserves earned a 4-3 win at Edgehill 3rds in the Reserve League.

Edgehill, who played the first 75 minutes with only 10 men, cruised into a 2-0 lead after only 10 minutes.

Tom Scales fired in the opener with a shot from the edge of the box in the first minute.

The home side doubled their lead when keeper Lee Cappleman came upfield to curl a 25-yard free-kick past Town keeper Kyle Scaife, but Town pulled a goal back through a strike from left-back James Smith.

Lewis Adams then levelled the scores with a cracking volley from the edge of the penalty area after a fine pass from Max Gage.

Joe Gage put Town in front after the break, but Edgehill levelled with a Tyler Herrington penalty-kick when Scales was fouled in the area.

Smith netted his second to earn the win and cap a man of the match performance, Grant Hayden also impressing in defence for the victors.

Alec Coulson was named as man of the match for the hosts in his first match for two years.