Atherton Collieries power their way to eight-goal victory over Kendal to maintain their lead
ATHERTON Collieries aren’t going to let go of the lead in the West Division without a fight if Saturday is anything to go by.
They put eight goals past struggling Kendal Town, with striker Tom Bentham claiming six of those, to no doubt have the historians checking their records late on Saturday evening.
The official Colls report said that Kendal bossed the first five minutes, but that will be a distant memory as Bentham notched a first half brace to give them a 2-0 half-time advantage.
It was 5-0 by the hour mark, Bentham with two more and Ben Hardcastle getting on the scoresheet.
Bentham would add a further two goals either side of a James Kirby strike.
Remarkably, Colls weren’t the only team to score eight on Saturday, as Colne did the same in beating Market Drayton Town 8-1.
They were 5-0 up by halftime, with Oliver Wood and Brad Lynch grabbing two apiece, while Josh Hine would add to his first half strike to complete a hattrick for his first goals for the club.
Ramsbottom United’s 5-0 thrashing of Glossop North End was quite modest in comparison, though the headline grabbing Rams won’t mind that as they now find themselves in a real gridlock of teams fighting for the play-offs.
Jamie Rainford and
Nic Evangelinos helped themselves to two goals apiece, while Richard Brodie scored his first goal for the club.
Trafford slipped up in an early kick-off at Colwyn Bay, who came from a goal down to win 2-1.
Declan Rydings put
Trafford in front after 15 minutes, before Thomas Mccready equalised from the penalty spot.
Daniel Andrews popped up with an injury-time winner which means the Welshmen move within three points of their opponents.
The form team in the division is Mossley and they won a seven-goal thriller at Radcliffe, who suffered only their second home defeat of the season in the process.
Lewis Lacy and Max Leonard exchanged firsthalf goals, but Mossley took charge in the first five minutes of the second half with Leonard’s second and a Lacy own goal putting them 3-1 up.
Ben Wharton and Tunde Owolabi then clawed it back for Boro, but Michael Fish struck a winner 20 minutes from time for a win that moves Mossley within two points of Radcliffe in third place.
Back up to second spot are Runcorn Linnets, who won 2-1 against Prescot Cables.
They scored all three goals themselves as Paul Shanley and Ryan Gibson put them in charge before half-time, and they held on despite Robert Evans putting through his own goal on 69 minutes.
Clitheroe’s desperate run of form continued as they conceded two late goals to lose 2-1 at Newcastle Town at Lyme Valley.
Harry Pratt looked like he had scored the winner on the hour mark, but Kyle Stubbs and Chris Smith scored two goals within three minutes in the closing stages to earn Newcastle the three points.
Clitheroe can take comfort from the fact that neither of the bottom two look capable of putting together enough points to get near them, a point highlighted by Skelmersdale United falling to their 17th loss of the season.
Tom Hill’s brace fired Chasetown to a 2-0 victory to leave Skem still without a win at home, albeit their temporary home at Prescot’s Volair Park, all season.
JAMES GORDON