Barnsley goalkeeper Henry Kendrick made his debut for Penistone Church who are firmly back in the promotion hunt after an excellent week.

Kendrick, who turned 18 this month and has been on the Reds’ bench twice this season, kept a clean sheet as Church won 5-0 at 16th-placed Thackley.

The NCEL Premier Division leaders Yorkshire Amateur lost 3-1 at 12th-placed Staveley who were three up after 11 minutes. Second-placed Penistone, who had been nine points off top earlier in the month, are now four points behind the leaders with a game in hand. There is only one promotion place into the Evo-Stik League this season.

Church manager Ian Richards said: “We have closed the gap and we’re in a very good position. There’s a long way to go and I think there will be eight teams thinking they can win the title. But I would have snapped your hand off for this position at the start of the season.

“Other clubs have got bigger squads and budgets so we need to stay fit, but we’ve got the points on the board which is better than having games in hand.”

Church enjoyed an excellent start to the game as Nathan Keightley put them ahead after just 15 seconds on his return from injury. Thackley scored an own goal midway through the first half to double the lead. Penistone then netted three times between 56 and 71 minutes through Andrew Ring, Keightley and Conor Glavin.

Richards said: “It was the perfect away performance. Thackley are a good team who had lost only one in six. Nathan Keightley has been very dedicated in coming back from injury and we need that kind of desire this season if we are going to compete for the title.”

Richards was pleased with Kendrick’s performance. He said: “We had to call in a favour from the Barnsley FC Academy staff Bobby Hassell and Martin Devaney, who I know well, to get Henry who is very highly-thought-of at Oakwell.

In Text Promo Image

“It was a one-game loan but we will look to bring him back if our other goalkeepers are unavailable again. He didn’t have a great deal to do but he did it well and it was a good experience and opportunity for him.”