Hemsworth Miners Welfare are now just five points away from being crowned Toolstation NCEL Division One champions but the title race remains wide open in the Premier Division as the season entered its final month on Saturday.And, the fight to stay in the top flight continues to be a furious one with only three points now separating next-to-bottom
Liversedge with
Armthorpe Welfare five places above them in sixteenth.
Premier Division leaders
Handsworth Parramore were without a game as their match at
Pontefract Collieries was one of three games to fall victim of heavy overnight rain, the others being the Division One clashes between
Glasshoughton Welfare versus
AFC Mansfield and
Hallam versus
Selby Town.
So,
Tadcaster Albion moved to within two points of the summit with a game in hand on Parramore following a 2-0 victory at
Albion Sports, a James Firth own goal added to by a Tom Corner strike in the opening period.
Third-placed
Cleethorpes Town were denied a win at
Armthorpe Welfare, Craig Aspinall with an injury time equaliser in a 1-1 draw after Marc Cooper had broken the deadlock and Cleethorpes are four points from the top having played two matches more.
Bridlington Town kept their chase up in fourth spot as Brett Agnew's hat-trick secured them a 3-2 victory at
Pickering Town although they now only have four games to close the six point gap with the leaders.
Meanwhile, the battle to avoid the drop is intensifying although bottom side
Nostell Miners Welfare's chances of escaping are becoming slim after a 1-0 home defeat to
Brigg Town, Luke Anderson's 41st minute strike meaning they are seven points away from safety with four games to play.
The win was invaluable, though, for Brigg who move out of the drop zone into seventeenth, replaced below the dotted line by
Athersley Recreation who lost 2-0 at
Garforth Town, Luke McCrum and Curtly-Martin Wyatt with the goals, whilst
Parkgate drop to nineteenth after their goalless draw at
Thackley.
Liversedge, who looked dead and buried a month ago, continued their renaissance with a 4-2 win at
Barton Town Old Boys, Benny Igiehon netting twice with Tinotenda Chibaro and Brandon Kane also getting on the scoresheet to put Sedge within a victory of climbing out of the relegation places.
The day's other games in the Premier Division saw
Staveley Miners Welfare win 3-0 at
Clipstone whilst
Rainworth Miners Welfare beat hosts
Maltby Main, 1-0, thanks to an injury-time goal from Joe Cheeseman.
In Division One, Hemsworth moved a step closer to the title with a 3-0 victory at
Hall Road Rangers, a Jason Yates penalty added to by goals from Bill Law and Samuel Jones, leaving them needing to win just one of their last five games to secure promotion.
Bottesford Town are up into second above AFC Mansfield after Martin Pembleton's strike on the hour gave his side a 1-0 home victory over
Winterton Rangers.
A hat-trick from Ashley Flynn, added to by a goal from Craig Billington, keeps
AFC Emley in fourth, four points off the automatic promotion places, after a 4-0 win at
Dronfield Town.
The other two sides currently occupying the play-off zone,
Hull United and
Penistone Church both won, Jamie Richardson netting twice for Hull in a 3-1 victory over bottom side
Lincoln Moorlands Railway although a twelve-point deduction could still come into effect for the Citizens.
And, Tom Cadzow and Daniel Joynes netted for Penistone in a 2-0 defeat of visitors
Yorkshire Amateur.
Shirebrook Town hover just outside the top six after their 1-1 home draw with
Knaresborough Town, Oliver Beaumont's opener for the Langwith Road side cancelled out by Colin Heath with nine minutes remaining.
Rossington Main claimed a massive victory in their bid to avoid relegation as they won 2-1 at home to
Grimsby Borough, a Lee Holmes penalty in stoppage time proving priceless, and they are now eight points clear of next-to-bottom
Worsbrough Bridge Athletic who were without a game.
And,
Westella VIP climb to fourteenth after Luke Salas, Joe McFadyen and Chris Spinks scored in a 3-0 victory at
Teversal.