CHURCH SIGN OFF ON 2019 IN STYLE

PENISTONE Church signed off on 2019 in style with a 4-0 win over Knaresborough Town in front of a bumper home crowd.

An incredible 354 watched the game on Saturday as Kieran Ryan’s first half brace helped Church to a comfortable victory.

It was Ryan who opened the scoring with just seven minutes on the clock and on 10 minutes, Nathan Keightley made it 2-0. Ryan grabbed his second on 36 minutes and a minute later, Will Lenehan scored an own goal to complete the scoring.

Church manager Ian Richards said: “A brilliant way to sign off the year! I think today’s performance, today’s attendance and today’s atmosphere in the clubhouse just replicates how good a year it’s been for the football club.

“Statistically we’ve been the best team in 2019 like we were statistically in 2018, the level of consistency by the players is exceptional, their form, the standard that they set themselves have been first class all year.

“That was our 38 th league game in the calendar year, we’ve only lost five of those games and we’ve won 26. It’s a great return for those players who have been with us for the whole year, a great return by those players who have joined us and have understood what is expected of them to play for our football club and be in our changing room so I’m very proud of everybody connected and to get an attendance of over 350 over Christmas is credit to the community to get behind the club. The people in the clubhouse are filling it to the rafters, it’s a great atmosphere, its people from Penistone really getting behind this football club and it’s great to see.”