Knaresborough Town's mens and womens teams both progressed to the semi-finals of their respective League Cup this week.

The men’s first team advanced into the next round of the JCP Construction League Cup after a narrow victory over Hallam yesterday (March 4), while the women’s firsts edged past Leeds Medics and Dentists after a penalty shootout on Sunday (March 2) in the West Riding County Women's Football League Cup.

Knaresborough 1-0 Hallam

Both teams play in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division. This is the ninth tier of English football and is a semi-professional league. Knaresborough are currently eleventh while Hallam are third.

The visitors arrived in Knaresborough with an unbeaten record stretching back to November, but were shocked four minutes in when Theo Hudson latched onto Jack Lazenby’s defence splitting pass and chipped it over keeper Hugo Warhurst.

Both sides had good chances to score, but neither were able to find the back of the net again.

Hallam almost scored directly from a corner, but goalkeeper Tommy Brown was able to claw it away.

Frustration grew into the Hallam side, who utilised all five of their substitutes to try and shake the game up and find the equaliser.

But it was Town who came away unscathed. A solid defensive display in the second half preserved a Knaresborough clean sheet, sending them through to the next round.

The remaining teams are yet to play their quarter finals games, so the Manse Lane side will have to wait until next week to find out their opponents.

The teams Knaresborough could be drawn against are Beverley Town, Rossington Main, Golcar United, Silsden AFC, Penistone Church and Handsworth.

Rossington is the only team currently below Knaresborough in the league, but Town will be filled with confidence after a convincing victory against a strong Hallam side.

Knaresborough 1-1 Leeds Medics and Dentists (Pens 5-4)

Boro women’s first team will also no doubt be full of confidence. After a strong 3-0 victory against Harrogate Railway in the County Cup a few weeks ago, they have now bested another team in the division higher.

Leeds Medics and Dentists are top of the West Riding County Women’s Football League’s Premier Division, and are looking for promotion into the league higher – the North East Regional Women’s Football League’s Division One South. This would take them from tier seven to tier six in the women’s football pyramid. Typically, teams become semi-professional at tier four.

A slightly depleted Knaresborough squad went 1-0 up ten minutes before half time. Jenny Crossley’s strike across goal culminated after some brilliant team play between Cass Lane, Emily Crispin and Ellis Baxter.

But an unfortunate scramble in the six-yard box after a good save from Maria Chatzistamou saw Leeds’ striker tap the ball in to make it 1-1 just before the break.

Both teams created good chances throughout the second half, but neither were able to find the winner in regular time and the game had to be decided by a penalty shootout.

After a high-quality shootout, Town keeper Chatzistamou produced a dramatic save across to her right against Leeds’ fifth penalty taker to send them through to the semi-finals.

Knaresborough will travel to Wyke Community Sports Village for the semi-final on April 6. They will face Wyke Wanderers, the second placed team in the division above.