“ADAM would have been proud,” commented, Kirk Deighton player manager, Neil Bould after the match, which was staged as a remembrance for a true family man.

There is no doubt, that Adam Tennant would have been proud of the large contingent of players and friends that turned up in Starbeck whose lives were enriched by him.

His death last year in a Harrogate and District League tie between the two teams, sent shockwaves around the community that had lost a popular married family man of three.

This was a match that was true to the nitty-gritty Sunday league standard in driving rain.

So bad was the rain, that the match only lasted one half. That one half of football however was enough to symbolise true sportsmanship and professionalism, two skills that the man of the trophy set upon his life.

A large number of players past and present made up the Spa squad, speaking up the volume of how highly Adam was regarded within his football club. Those players who were on the field for the first half made sure they held that respect with a superb first half performance.

Spa took the lead after just one minute with Dave Parry slotting home past Nick Lancaster in the Deighton goal in a one-on-one situation. Just minutes later, Spa doubled their lead with Andrew Dakes finishing home superbly in the box as the heavy rain ferociously pebbled down on the pitch.

With the first half already halfway, Dakes got his second of the match with an easy shot into the net after a good passing move left Deighton bewildered.

Spa continued to put the pressure on with Dakes, desperate to get his hat trick, forcing a good save by Lancaster.

The striker was also unluckily caught offside on a few occasions as Athletic kept the pressure on. That pressure however took its test as the quality of the football worsened due to the pitch being overcome by the worst conditions of the season.

Although Deighton dominated possession in the latter part of the half, Spa came to life again as Gerard Berkeley made it 4-0 with a comfortable effort going past the keeper in the box. This was the last notable point of the game as referee for the day; Raymond Pike put a halt to the match due to the weather. Football had lost which was a fitting conclusion, as there was clearly only one man who had won.

“It was just great for both sides to get together for this match,” said Kirk Deighton player manager, Neil Bould in the dressing room after the game.

“Adam would have been proud of today and I’m sure his family will be as well.”

The event helped raise funds for ‘Cardiac Risk In the Young’ trust.

Spa Athletic: Gill, Henderson, Berkeley, Gambles, Medd, Galton, Tindell, Charlton, Parry, Dakes, Watson, Tmott, Towyce, Simpson, Hartley, Kilroy, Turnbull, McGroary, Barker. Goals- Parry, Dakes (2), Berkeley.

Deighton: Lancaster, Gray, Dickinson, Buckle, McDan, Bould, Williams, Jackson, Baker, McDonald, Marshall, Kershaw, Hill, Kilpatrick.