STEP 5 ROUND-UPS

NORTHERN LEAGUE

THE Northern League season will now extend until the final weekend of April after yesterday’s white-out.

Snow put paid to ever game in both divisions and these fixtures will all now take place on Saturday April 28, with what will be the final matchweek of the season.

The Northern League will have a club in the final of the FA Vase for the tenth consecutive season – and it will be a new one.

Neither Marske United or Stockton Town have reached the Vase final before – a competition the Northern League has dominated in recent years.

Of the last nine finals eight of them have been won by a Northern League side, holders South Shields now in the Evo-Stik North.

Four-time Vase winners Whitley Bay have appointed their former manager and defender, Andy Gowens, as manager until the end of the season.

JEFF BOWRON

NORTH WEST COUNTIES

WITH the weather freezing off another NWCFL weekend of games, the coming week’s fixtures focus heavily on clubs near the top of the table.

And it all kicks off with tomorrow’s tantalising El-Tollio derby as secondplaced Widnes, on a run of 15 league games unbeaten, host leaders Runcorn Linnets.

City of Liverpool will be trying to keep the pressure on the top sides as they travel to Winsford United.

On Tuesday, FA Vase semi-finalists 1874 Northwich play the first of three games in five days as they travel to Ashton Athletic while fellow promotion candidates Bootle and Runcorn Town face off. Charnock Richard host AFC Liverpool, Hanley Town travel to Irlam whilst Padiham host Barnoldswick.

Wednesday sees Darwen host West Didsbury before 1874 Northwich return to action at home to Squires Gate.

GARY LANGLEY

NORTHERN COUNTIES EAST

AFC MANSFIELD may be sitting ten points clear at the top of the table but a title race is still on the cards thanks to the form of Pontefract Collieries.

The two sides were due to go head-to-head yesterday but the winter wipeout means Ponte remain 13 points adrift of the leaders but with seven games in hand.

A six-game winning run have kept them in touch but they face a fixturecrammed end of season with nine matches already pencilled in for the rest of March including a trip to midtable Albion Sports on Wednesday.

Second-placed Handsworth Parramore are also in action on that night with a visit to Worksop Town while other sides in the top five are in action on Tuesday. Pickering Town are at home to Harrogate Railway Athletic and basement boys Clipstone host Maltby Main.

DAVID LAWRENCE

UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE

GLYNN Davies has taken over as manager of Desborough Town until the end of the season.

Assistant boss Davies, who will now be assisted by Danny Marlow, has stepped into the hot seat after Chris Bradshaw quit in the wake of last Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Kirby Muxloe.

Bradshaw led Ar Tarn to fourth place in the Premier last season and, this time round, they had their best FA Vase run for 11 years

Club officials asked him to reconsider, but Bradshaw said he had taken the side as far as he could. “The club needs someone else now with a bit more pedigree than me,” he said.

Bradshaw also said that he wanted to spend more time with his family.

A Desborough statement said: “Chris avoided relegation in his first part-season, and, building on that, led the team to their highest league position for many years in 2016-17.”

ROBIN JONES

MIDLAND LEAGUE

BRENDAN Kelly will be hoping for a change in the weather as he tries to prepare for his first game in charge of league leaders Bromsgrove Sporting.

The former defender was assistant to Paul Smith who resigned in midweek following a long-running dispute with the Bromsgrove board.

Kelly had been due to take the reins for yesterday’s trip to Rocester but he now makes his managerial bow against Boldmere St Michaels on Tuesday.

Coleshill Town are level on points with Sporting and will be hoping to keep the pressure on with a win at lowly Shawbury United the same night while in-form Highgate United head to Haughmond and fellow high-flyers Sporting Khalsa go to Rocester.

Rugby Town play host to Heanor Town, Stourport Swifts head to AFC Wulfrunians while on Wednesday, Coventry United host Lye Town.

DAVID LAWRENCE

ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE

THE Beast from the East and storm Emma did their bit to ensure that all games were called off by Friday afternoon, and none took place in midweek either.

It means the top five remain as they are with FC Romania, Great Wakering Rovers and Redbridge within a point of each other and Basildon and Takeley – who have games in hand – close enough, if good enough.

The relegation battle, with probably four going down, sees Hackney Wick ten points adrift, but only seven points separates Enfield 1893, Stansted, Barkingside, Sporting Bengal United, Waltham Forest, Hullbridge Sports, Burnham Ramblers and Wadham Lodge.

A meeting, involving the Eastern Counties and Essex Senior Leagues, to discuss the new Step 6 League in Essex will take place in mid March.

DAVID BALLHEIMER

EASTERN COUNTIES

SATURDAY’S entire programme was wiped out due to the freezing weather conditions including the top of the table Premier clash between Felixstowe & Walton United and Coggeshall Town.

The rearranged game could have a decisive impact on the title race with Felixstowe currently leading Coggeshall by 11 points but the second placed side have four games in hand and a superior goal difference.

Stowmarket Town are a further six points behind Coggeshall in third place with Histon, Brantham Athletic and Godmanchester Rovers rounding out the top six.

At the opposite end, the bottom three teams all face an uphill task to beat the drop. Fakenham Town are the closest to safety but are still seven points adrift with Ipswich Wanderers and bottom side Wivenhoe Town, ten and 11 points from safety respectively.

RORY HAYWARD

SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS

THIS week’s wintry weather accounted for nine of the ten Premier games scheduled to take place this weekend.

However, a combination of the 3G pitch and the amazing efforts of the ground staff and volunteers at Silver Jubilee Park ensured the game between hosts Edgware Town and 4th placed Harpenden Town went ahead.

The healthy crowd that turned up were treated to an excellent, hard fought game, won 3-1 by Edgware.

The Wares 11th league win of the season sees them move up to 7th and they were given the perfect start when Luke Durnin scored inside four minutes. Harpenden had the better of the first half possession but just moments after the restart, Omololu Onabolu made it two. James Ewington reduced the arrears in the 50th minute but the scoring was rounded off by Wares’ Steven Benavides. CHRIS MITCHELL

SOUTHERN COMBINATION

HASSOCKS are now just one point from safety after a vital 2-0 away win against bottom side Littlehampton Town on Saturday. Jake Lindsay and Jack Wilkins were both on target for the visitors as they secured all three points.

James Fraser struck a hat-trick and Harry Shooman also netted as Saltdean United climbed to fourth after a 4-0 away victory against East Preston. Saltdean are now seven points behind leaders Horsham YMCA, whose home game against Chichester City was postponed.

Elsewhere, Marcus Allen was Peacehaven & Telscombe’s hero as his second half strike handed them a 2-1 win over Worthing United.

Six of Saturday’s games were called off including second placed Three Bridges’ home game against Newhaven and struggling Arundel’s match at Haywards Heath Town.

RORY HAYWARD

HELLENIC LEAGUE

EVEN extensive efforts to beat the big freeze failed as all scheduled top-flight fixtures were postponed.

The setback was particularly galling for Bracknell Town – the Robins flying high in fifth place. Despite considerable work to clear their 3G pitch at Larges Lane, further snow and overnight freezing led Bracknell to call off their match against Brackley Town Saints.

It was a frustrating setback financially for the Berkshire club who have attracted strong attendances again so far this season, also reaching the FA Vase quarter-finals.

Highworth Town remain top, boasting an impressive plus 64 goal difference and 79 points. But Thatcham Town stay in close pursuit, only five points adrift with a game in hand.

Wantage Town, Flackwell Heath, Bracknell Town and Binfield respectively round off the top-six teams in the standings. DAVID GROVES

SOUTHERN COUNTIES EAST

WITH all fixtures postponed on Saturday the title chase begins again on Tuesday evening.

Beckenham Town can move to top spot if they win at Corinthian. Jason Huntley’s side will have played four more games than current leaders Sevenoaks Town who travel to Lordswood on Wednesday.

Sevenoaks then travel to Beckenham for a crunch meeting next Saturday, and the hosts can put pressure on Micky Collins’ side with a win.

Whitstable Town and Crowborough Athletic are both still in the race for the title with Whitstable still in the hunt for three trophies.

The Oystermen meet Sheppey United in the Kent Senior Trophy final and are due to host Deal Town in a League Cup quarter-final on Tuesday.

On the same night Cray Valley will travel to Tunbridge Wells to play for a place in the semi-finals.

PAUL CARTER

WESTERN LEAGUE

MELKSHAM Town are hoping to maintain the increased profile their club attained during the FA Vase campaign which saw them beaten at the death in last weekend’s defeat to Thatcham Town.

Ekow Elliott’s 89th minute strike saw Melksham’s Wembley dream ended, but with a crowd of 2,208 in attendance at Oakfield Stadium, the club’s cup run has been a huge positive. Elsewhere in the division, Odd Down have announced the signing of former Southampton forward Jake Sinclair.

The brother of Celtic star Scott Sinclair joins from Mangotsfield Town, with Ben Wych and Martin Stowell also re-joining the club ahead of the run-in. Bridport’s Mark Salter now needs just four more goals to move to 500 in his senior career. Salter’s opener in the 3-0 victory over Cadbury Heath last week was the 21st goal of yet another prolific season for the 37-year-old. TOM HISCOTT

WESSEX LEAGUE

THE term ‘Snow Day’ has become a day off for many this week, and it was no difference for the Wessex League on Saturday with all games off.

It wasn’t just the weekend that suffered with games off though with many being postponed on Tuesday too.

Team Solent survived the midweek freeze to beat Newport IOW 4-2. Tyrell Mitford, Jemal Wiseman and Hisham Kasimu, with two, all netted to seal the points for the Students on the Island. Connor Kelly and Aurele Beya scored in response for the Port. That was the only fixture out of 16 planned midweek games that survived the freeze.

Elsewhere, Harry Hawkins departed Lymington Town and moved across the New Forest to sign for Fawley AFC.

AFC Portchester have also been in the transfer market and have signed Dan Wooden from Moneyfields and Jack Breed from Gosport Borough. MATT RICHBELL