There were 84 goals as 2020 got underway in enthralling fashion in the Toolstation NCEL on Saturday afternoon.The recently improved weather meant that all nineteen scheduled games went ahead, the first time since the twelfth of October that there were no postponements in the league's weekend fixture list.
All of the Premier Division's top three sides were unable to find victories to start the New Year with leaders
Penistone Church defeated 4-3 at
Bridlington Town who stay seventh but close the gap to the promotion zone to just two points.
The game was tied at 2-2 at the interval, the Seasiders twice going ahead through Thomas Waudby and Billy Logan before being pegged back by Nathan Keightley on both occasions.
Waudby's second and Chris Adams' strike gave the hosts a 4-2 advantage by the 55th minute and Andrew Ring got a last gasp third for Church who are now only ahead of second placed
Hemsworth Miners Welfare, who drew 2-2 at
Eccleshill United, on goal difference.
Hemsworth would have been top were it not for a fine second half comeback from their hosts, Jonathan Irving and Tabish Hussain rescuing a point for the Eagles after Sam Jones and Seon Ripley had put Hemsworth 2-0 up in the first period.
Staveley Miners Welfare stay five points off the summit in third after they were beaten 2-0 at neighbours
AFC Mansfield, substitute Ross Duggan netting twice in the last twenty minutes to give the Bulls three vital points as they move out of the bottom two.
The chasing pack all won to close the gap on Staveley with
Grimsby Borough,
Liversedge and
Yorkshire Amateur claiming victories to move within a whisker of the top three.
Borough came from behind to win 3-1 at home to
Bottesford Town after Henry Cook's early penalty for the Poachers, with Peter Winn, Jack Bradbury and Adam Drury scoring in the second half to secure the three points whilst Bottesford drop below AFC Mansfield to nineteenth.
Sedge were 2-1 down at
Barton Town at the break but an Alfie Raw double turned the game in the visitors' favour and Jack Hardacre made sure of the victory with their fourth in the 89th minute.
And, the Ammers left it very late to snatch a 1-0 win at
Garforth Town, Ashley Flynn's injury time strike proving decisive to move his sixth placed side to a point behind Staveley whilst Garforth drop to ninth, overtaken by
Thackley who won 2-0 at
Goole AFC.
James Rothel and Jack Normanton struck, once in each half, for the Dennyboys who also leapt above their hosts into eighth.
Knaresborough Town became the first team to hit double figures in a Toolstation NCEL match this season as they brushed aside visitors
Handsworth 10-1.
Daniel Thirkell's double, along with goals from Colin Heath and Ben Parkes, gave them a 4-1 advantage by the break with Leon Howarth netting for the visitors before Heath's second in the second period and further strikes from Jack Carr, Greg Kidd, Robert Youhill, William Lenehan and Luke Harrop completed the rout.
Bottom side
Athersley Recreation are seven points adrift, the gap widening by a point despite a 1-1 draw at
Albion Sports, Kane Swinburn's 75th minute opener for the Rec cancelled out by Marcel Chigumira.
Skegness Town's lead at the top of Division One is down to two points after they lost 2-0 at
Rossington Main, Adam Watson and Masassa Kianga with the goals that move the home side up into thirteenth spot.
A first half hat trick from Luke Anderson saw second placed
Winterton Rangers close the gap with a 3-2 win at next-to-bottom
Harrogate Railway Athletic.
North Ferriby move up to third with a 3-0 win at
Parkgate, a Tom Corner brace added to by Joe Dale, but are seven points behind Rangers and only three four points ahead of tenth placed
Swallownest in what is turning into an incredibly tight chase for a top four finish.
Campion drop to fourth after a 1-1 draw at
Brigg Town, Mohammad Qasim giving them an early lead before Reece Moody restored parity in the 34th minute.
Wins for
Retford FC,
Selby Town and
Nostell Miners Welfare boosted their promotion aspirations as they move up to fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively.
Joshua Street scored two of Retford's goals in a 4-2 win at
Dronfield Town whilst Liam Flanagan did the same as Selby dispatched visitors
Glasshoughton Welfare 5-3, a result that sees Welfare drop to eighth.
And, it was a 5-2 home victory for Nostell at the expense of basement side
East Hull, Calum Ward and Shaun Mundy both netting twice.
Swallownest keep themselves within touching distance of the top four as Daniel Barnsley's double helped his side to a 3-2 win at
Armthorpe Welfare who fall to ninth.
Charlie Birley netted the only goal of the game as
Hall Road Rangers overcame visitors
Ollerton Town in a match where both sides were desperate for points in their quest to move further away from the bottom two.
And, it was a point apiece for
Hallam and
Worsbrough Bridge Athletic as they shared six goals with Samuel Smith getting two for the home side and Ashley Emmett doing likewise for the visitors.
Photo: Charlie Birley scores the only goal of the game as Hall Road Rangers defeat visitors Ollerton Town in Toolstation NCEL Division One on Saturday. (Picture: Darren Thompson)