Hemsworth Miners Welfare and Eccleshill United went through to the quarter-finals of the Toolstation NCEL League Cup in midweek whilst leaders Staveley Miners Welfare and Selby Town both won in the chases for the Premier Division and Division One title, respectively.For the first time since the beginning of December, all matches scheduled for midweek were played at the start of what will be a busy final two months of the 2019/20 season.
Hemsworth were 4-1 home winners in their cup tie at home to Division One opponents
Worsbrough Bridge Athletic but it was the visitors who took the lead in the ninth minute through Matthew Thornton.
The Premier Division hosts, however, levelled on 35 through Kane Swinburn before Nash Connolly gave them a 2-1 advantage at the interval.
Rikki Paylor added a third soon after the restart and Seon Ripley wrapped up the tie with Hemsworth's fourth towards the end of the tie.
Eccleshill, meanwhile, were 2-1 winners over
Yorkshire Amateur in a game that was switched to the Ammers' Southerns Stadium due to a waterlogged pitch at the Eagles' Mitton Group Stadium.
Stephen Crawford broke the deadlock on 25 for the Ammers before Eccleshill staged a second-half comeback through Jonathan Irving and Sumaili Cisse grabbed the winner in the 82nd minute.
In the Premier Division, Staveley raced into a 3-0 lead at home to
Garforth Town, Jonathan Froggatt, Robert Worrall and Matthew Parkin giving them a comfortable scoreline by the half-hour mark.
Jack Lazenby tucked home a penalty midway through the second period for the visitors but Staveley's 3-1 win means their lead at the top has increased to five points.
Liversedge are now their nearest challengers after their 2-0 victory at fellow promotion chasers
Bridlington Town, Michael Bottomley's brace securing the points for the visitors whilst their hosts stay fifth.
Maltby Main have climbed above Garforth into eighth following their 2-0 win at Barton Town, Sam Liversidge and Ben Algar with the goals in the final quarter of the game.
Handsworth,
Knaresborough Town and
AFC Mansfield stay fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth, respectively, as they all picked up victories.
Luke Rawson's double helped Handsworth to a 5-2 win at
Bottesford Town with Ehsan Mohammed, Alex Varley and Leon Howarth also netting for the visitors whilst Thomas Spall and Dayle Hutson got on the scoresheet for the hosting Poachers.
Sam Cook and Robert Youhill struck either side of half-time as Knaresborough ran out 2-1 home victors over
Thackley, Owen Murphy pulling one back for the away side on 55 minutes.
And, AFC Mansfield claimed their first away league win of the season as Luke Walker and Grant Ryan scored for the Bulls in a 2-0 defeat of next-to-bottom hosts
Albion Sports.
Just goal difference continues to separate Division One tabletoppers Selby and second-placed
Winterton Rangers after both won in midweek.
A Liam Flanagan hat-trick was the highlight of Selby's 5-1 home victory over
Rossington Main with Carl Stewart and Daniel Walker adding to the Robins' tally whilst Masassa Kianga got what was an equaliser for the visitors.
Winterton, meanwhile, defeated
Parkgate 3-0 at the Hammond Homes Stadium, Joshua Street, Luke Anderson and Nathan Peat all scoring in the first half.
The gap between the top two and third is now four points, and seven with fourth-placed
North Ferriby who drew 1-1 at
Hallam.
William Annan broke the deadlock on 68 for Ferriby but their hosts ensured it was a point apiece in the final ten minutes as Micah Bishop restored parity.
An Ashley Bell double secured seventh-placed
Glasshoughton Welfare a 2-1 home win over
Swallownest that cuts the gap between themselves and the promotion zone to nine points.
And, relegation-threatened
Harrogate Railway Athletic have given themselves more of a chance of survival after a 3-1 home win over
Ollerton Town means they are down to seven points from safety.
Two penalties, one each from Stephen Bromley and Stephen Walker, helped them to the victory that also saw a goal from Patrick Sykes whilst Aaron Sennett-Neilson netted in the 89th minute for Ollerton.
Photo: Action from Harrogate Railway Athletic's 3-1 home victory over Ollerton Town on Tuesday night in what could prove to be an important win for the Rail in Toolstation NCEL Division One. (Picture: Craig Dinsdale)