Six straight victories for Church after success in league and cup
■ Worsbrough four points clear of drop zone after 4-2 home victory ■ Athersley lose leads in two 2-2 draws to stay in bottom three
PENISTONE Church stretched their winning run to six games with victories in league and cup this week.
They won 3-1 over Silsden on Saturday which left them sixth in the Premier Division with 33 points from 19 games.
It was a fourth straight league win for Church who are five points off the two promotion places.
They then won 4-2 at home to Maltby in the League Cup on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals.
The winning run follows a sequence of five straight defeats.
Manager Stephen Lenthall said: “It’s six out of six. Performances are looking really good. The intensity is back, we’re moving the ball better, and little things are going our way whereas they were going against us five or six weeks ago.
“We’re on a good run and we just want to keep it going now.”
Player Brett Lovell said: “Football’s a funny game, the tide’s turned from where we were a month and a half ago and we’re really looking onwards and upwards now.
“So for the second half of the season, if we keep producing these sort of performances, keep getting three points and keep driving ourselves up that table we’ll be right up there and right in the mix come April. That’s where we want to be.
“We’re riding a crest of a wave at the minute.”
Against Maltby, Cameron Simpson gave Church the lead at half-time then, after the hosts levelled with a penalty, James Young and Leon Hurles-Brook scored within three minutes for 3-1.
Nathan Keightley netted a fourth before a late consolation.
Penistone beat Silsden at the weekend in front of a crowd of 222.
Simpson and Keightley scored either side of half-time to make it 2-0.
Former Barnsley youngster Talent Ndlovu pulled one back with a penalty midway through the second half.
Reece High secured the win in the 86th minute.
Athersley Rec drew 2-2 twice this week, having been in winning positions, which leaves them in the Division One relegation zone.
They have 17 points from 21 games and are one place and two points away from safety in the highest of the three positions in the relegation zone.
They are unbeaten in three league games, collecting five points and scoring six goals.
At home to Retford on Tuesday, they were 1-0 behind at the break.
But Ethan Nixon and Lee Garside made it 2-1 to Athersley, only for the visitors to net in the 82nd minute
Rec had lost a 2-0 lead in a 2-2 draw at Beverley Town on Saturday.
Garside and Nixon netted in quick succession midway through the first half.
The hosts pulled one back in the 73rd minute then equalised in the 89th.
Worsbrough Bridge gained a 4-2 home win over Swallownest on Saturday.
They are now 14th with 21 points from as many games, leaving them four points and four places clear of the relegation zone. Conor Glavin put Worsbrough ahead after 12 minutes then Michael Jepps doubled the lead just before halftime. Swallownest pulled one back but Glavin and Alex Hutchinson made it 4-1, before the visitors netted a consolation.