Midweek Match Review
7th March, 2008
Pickering Town kept their UniBond hopes alive as a 1-0 home win over Liversedge moved them to within four points of second place in the Premier Division.
The Pikes also have a game in hand on the side currently in that position, Glapwell, as the promotion chase hots up.
Brian Dutton's 27th-minute strike was enough for the fourth-placed side to beat the team just above them.
Elsewhere, there were big wins for two Premier Division sides desperately trying to avoid the drop into Division One.
South Normanton Athletic moved out of the bottom three with a 2-0 win at home to local rivals Shirebrook Town who will now also be looking nervously over their shoulder.
A second-half brace from Valadmir Santos Farrell sent the Lees Lane side into rapture.
Meanwhile, Thackley climbed up to sixteenth with a 3-1 victory over visitors and bottom side, Glasshoughton Welfare.
Danny Forrest put them ahead before Darren Kendall levelled matters on 35 minutes and Joel Etienne restored Thackley's lead prior to the interval.
Etienne grabbed his second and the home side's third with five minutes remaining to seal the win.
Mickleover Sports moved up into twelfth with a 4-1 home win over Armthorpe Welfare.
The race for second place in Division One got even tighter following two matches in midweek.
Leeds Met Carnegie climbed to fourth with a 4-2 win at Tadcaster Albion as two goals each for Kev Ryan and Alex O'Brien made it a third straight victory for them.
And, Staveley Miners Welfare took all three points with an injury time penalty claiming a dramatic 3-2 victory at Teversal.
Ryan Damms grabbed a second hat-trick for the visitors after the hosts had been two up by the interval with goals from Andy Woodcock and Jamie Hudson.
Only three points now separate Staveley in seventh and second-placed Rainworth Miners Welfare.
Elsewhere, in County Cup action, two NCEL sides made it through to the Semi-Finals of the Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup with massive wins over league rivals.
Division One leaders Dinnington Town thrashed Premier Division outfit Hallam 8-0 with a hat-trick for Ant Lynam, two each for Michael Blythen and Ben Rosser, and one for Matt Haigh.
Parkgate were 6-0 winners at AFC Emley as a brace for Russell Hobson and Caine Cheetham, added to by strikes from Ryan Johnson and Andy Battersby, made it a comfortable evening for the Premier Division side against their hosts who played with ten men for just over an hour.
Dinnington will now host Worksop Town, who beat Maltby Main 1-0 at home, in the last four whilst Parkgate go to Sheffield who were given a scare by Brodsworth Welfare.
Welfare were twice ahead with goals from Sean Gorman and Josh Wright but two late strikes from Rob Ward ensured the hosts went through.
Meanwhile, the NCEL's participation in the Notts Senior Cup is over after our two remaining sides both lost at home to Central Midlands League opposition.
Arnold Town fell to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Gedling Miners Welfare whilst Gedling Town were beaten 2-0 by Ollerton Town.