Westella & Willerby have joined Nostell Miners Welfare in being relegated from the Toolstation NCEL on Saturday after a 4-0 loss at Hallam condemned them to a bottom two finish in Division One.Two goals from Scott Bates as well as strikes from Michael Blythen and Kieran Watson earned their hosts a comfortable win as they continue their preparations for the play-offs.
Westella's demotion was confirmed as the team just outside the play-offs,
Worsbrough Bridge Athletic, secured their survival with a 3-0 home victory over
Teversal, Lee Morris, Innocent Ituly and Christopher White with the goals that extended the gap with Westella to an unassailable eleven points.
Nineteenth-placed
Dronfield Town have also been assured NCEL football next season even though they went down to a single goal loss at
Rossington Main, Jason Stokes with the vital strike on 40 minutes.
At the top of the table,
AFC Emley remain leaders but a 0-0 draw at
Selby Town means the race for the title is no longer in their hands.
They have only one game left whilst
Hall Road Rangers moved up into second, two points behind with two matches to play, with an 8-0 home win over Nostell.
Joe Cooper's hat-trick came in a first-half where Rangers struck six times with Ashley Dexter, Jamie Coulson and Craig Muirhead also finding the net whilst, after the interval, Coulson claimed his second and Christopher Spinks got on to the scoresheet.
Pontefract Collieries drop to third but are also still in with a shout of the title despite a 2-1 loss at
Yorkshire Amateur, Glynn Cotton's penalty for them sandwiched by a T'nique Fishley double for the hosts.
Rangers' victory also means that fourth-placed
Grimsby Borough, who were without a game, can no longer gain automatic promotion but their play-off spot has been confirmed.
One of the sides they could face,
Penistone Church, stay fifth after Andrew Ring and James Stafford netted in a 2-0 victory at
Shirebrook Town.
Elsewhere,
Campion and
Eccleshill United kept themselves eighth and ninth, respectively, with victories as Jason Davis' hat-trick saw Campion win 3-0 at home to
Brigg Town whilst Marcus Edwards struck twice in the Eagles' 3-1 defeat of hosts
Glasshoughton Welfare.
And, Matthew Crane got both of
Winterton Rangers' goals in a 2-0 home win over
Ollerton Town to move his side up into tenth spot.
The top three sides in the Premier Division all won as
Cleethorpes Town remain the favourites to lift the trophy as they thumped visitors
Harrogate Railway Athletic, 10-1.
Andrew Taylor's hat-trick was added to by braces from Liam Davis and Alexander Flett whilst Gary King, Jack Richardson and Matthew Coleman also got in on the action before a late consolation from Roy Fogarty for the away side.
It means that Cleethorpes need just eight points from their final six games to be certain of the title as they are two points ahead of
Pickering Town with three matches in hand.
But, the Pikes are making sure the Owls will have to earn becoming champions as they won 3-1 at home to
Liversedge, Nicholas Thompson, Samuel Denton and George Bissett scoring after Alfie Raw had given Sedge a half-time lead.
And, third-placed
Bridlington Town can still mathematically be title-winners as Chris Adams, Jake Day and Brett Agnew twice scored in their 4-1 win at
Worksop Town but their chances are slim as they trail Cleethorpes by eight points with four to play.
Three of the bottom four sides were without a game so could only watch as rivals
Parkgate boosted their own survival hopes with a 1-0 home win over
Staveley Miners Welfare, Nicholas Senior with the goal on 75 minutes.
That moves the Green Lane side out of the relegation zone, two points ahead of
Barton Town Old Boys, whilst
Retford United and
Armthorpe Welfare are all-but condemned to the drop as both need to win all of their remaining matches to have any chance of escaping.
Elsewhere,
Handsworth Parramore climbed to fourth with a 4-1 victory at
Bottesford Town, Elliot Broughton putting the hosts ahead on three minutes before Alex Rippon's double and then Aaron Moxam and Jack McCarthy's goals ensured a winning end to Mick Godber's reign as Ambers boss.
And, there were 1-1 draws for
AFC Mansfield at home to
Hemsworth Miners Welfare and for
Clipstone at
Athersley Recreation.