Queens suffer thumping defeat as Pontefract chase league title
Doncaster and Pontefract 1 both carded thumping victories as they put daylight between themselves and the chasing pack at the top of the Yorkshire Premier squash league.
Pontefract were ruthless in their surprising 20-4 demolition of 2022 champions Queens in Halifax.
Captain Matt Godson kept up his great record this season with victory at number five and in-form Adam Taylor won a humdinger with Queens' fourth string Cory Harding.
Tom Bamford continued the one-way traffic although he was pushed hard by Bader Almaghrebi in four lengthy games.
New Zealander Elijah Thomas was also thoroughly tested by former pro James Earles over four games, then the stage was set for tyro Finnlay Withington to take on world number 24 Patrick Rooney.
The elder statesman won it in a thoroughly entertaining three games.
Doncaster were emphatic 20-2 winners of the cross-town derby with bottom-placed Woodfield.
Ed Walker got his first YPL victory of the season with a five-game triumph over Polly Clark, who with the narrow defeat earned Woodfield's only points of the night.
The rest of the evening was a procession for Doncaster with William Donnelly, Lewis Doughty, Joel Arscott and trick shot king Will Salter all winning 3/0 and heading home for an early night.
Defending champions Hallamshire also won handsomely to all-but end fifthplaced Dunnington's hopes of the title.
Matt Gregory, ever-present in the YPL this season, beat Luke McFarland and Nick Wall Snr took care of Sam Gibbon in rapid fashion to give the hosts an ideal start.
Three-time world champion Nick Matthew brushed off his former England teammate Chris Simpson, but the night's other two encounters were far closer.
Hallamshire stalwart Adam
Turner hit back from two games down against Dunnington's Seif Heikal to win the fifth 11-6, and at top string New Zealand's Temwa Chileshe also recorded a gruelling five-game victory against
Welshman Owain Taylor to finish off a 20-5 team win.
With just five rounds remaining, Doncaster lead Pontefract 1 by just three points, but the gap to third-placed Hallamshire is now 23.