Only five points separate the top ten sides in the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division after defeats for leaders Hemsworth Miners Welfare and second-placed Yorkshire Amateur on Saturday.The chasing pack - including
Barton Town and
Penistone Church who beat the top two - all took advantage to close the gap in what is shaping up to become one of the closest title chases in recent seasons.
Penistone went behind at home to Hemsworth through a Seon Ripley strike but led 3-1 by the interval thanks to Sam Scrivens' equaliser and then goals from Tom Brennan and Ashley Ellis.
Richard Collier brought Wells back into the game on 54 but Scrivens grabbed his second on the hour mark and Conor Glavin's injury-time strike ensured a 5-2 victory for the hosts.
Barton, meanwhile, dispatched Amateur 4-3 at the Easy Buy Stadium with Matthew Plummer, William Waudby, Owen Marshall and Gareth Barlow putting them 4-1 up by the 71st minute before goals from Adam Shaw and Ashley Flynn almost produced a remarkable comeback by the visitors.
Penistone stay seventh and Barton fifth after the sides around them in the table also won.
A Ross Duggan hat-trick helped
Maltby Main stay third with a 4-2 victory at
Liversedge that moves them to within two points of the summit.
A further point behind are fourth-placed
Knaresborough Town who, thanks to goals from Sam Cook, Brad Walker and Robert Youhill, won 3-0 at
Eccleshill United.
And,
Handsworth Parramore remain in sixth spot after first-half strikes from Oliver Fearon, Jonathan Froggatt and Oscar Radford ensured a 3-2 defeat of visitors
Harrogate Railway Athletic who remain bottom of the pile but do not lose ground as the five sides above them tasted defeat as well.
Albion Sports continue to fill the other relegation place after their 1-0 loss at
Staveley Miners Welfare, Jahmal Riley getting the vital goal early in the second period.
Two goals each for Matthew Sykes and Craig Mitchell helped
Worksop Town punish hosts
Athersley Recreation 6-1 and
Goole AFC went down 4-0 at
Bottesford Town, a seven-minute first-half hat-trick Jack McMenemy setting the Poachers off to a victory that moves them up to eighth.
Hall Road Rangers were beaten 4-1 at
Bridlington Town, courtesy of two goals each for Joe McFadyen and Andrew Norfolk, whilst
Thackley lost 3-1 at home to
Garforth Town, Mark Simpson's double keeping the visitors in ninth and the hosts in fifteenth.
The top of Division One also got tighter with leaders
Winterton Rangers falling to their second defeat in four days, this time 2-1 at home to
Selby Town, the visitors netting at each end of the game through Liam Flanagan and Charlie Clamp whilst Liam Nelthorpe scored for Rangers in the 42nd minute.
Jack Owen scored the only goal of the game to move second-placed
Nostell Miners Welfare to within just goal difference of Winterton, thanks to a 1-0 home victory over
Grimsby Borough who drop to sixth.
Worsbrough Bridge Athletic and
Dronfield Town climb to third and fourth, respectively, after 2-0 away victories, Worsbrough's coming at bottom side
FC Bolsover with goals in the final quarter from Jack Mawson and Bradley Kerr.
Dronfield, meanwhile, picked up maximum points at
AFC Emley thanks to a brace, one in each half, from substitute Mark Fereday.
They both go above
Campion who were involved in the NCEL's only draw of the day, a 2-2 home stalemate with
Armthorpe Welfare.
Hallam left it until late to get the three points that see them move up into eighth as Tom Wilson, Sam Smith and Reece Treasure all struck in the last quarter-of-an-hour to claim a 3-2 home victory over
Shirebrook Town.
Top scorers on the day were
East Yorkshire Carnegie who, thanks to a Josh Walker hat-trick and goals from Paul Wray, Jonathan Ricardo, Ryan Williams and Thomas Bennett, inflicted a 7-0 defeat on visitors
Harworth Colliery who drop into the bottom five.
Swallownest leapfrog Harworth after their 2-0 win at
Skegness Town, two early Alex Lill goals doing the damage to the hosts who stay in eighteenth.
And, the two teams surrounding Skegness were also beaten as a Lee Holmes penalty and a Jason Stokes strike condemned
Ollerton Town to a 2-0 loss at home to
Rossington Main whilst Gracjan Klimczak scored twice as
Parkgate went down 2-1 to visitors
Glasshoughton Welfare.
Photo: Jonathan Froggatt scores the second for Handsworth Parramore in their 3-2 home victory over Harrogate Railway Athletic on Saturday. (Picture: Ken Allsebrook)