PLAY-OFF CHARGE IS STILL ON
STAMFORD continued their push for the play-offs with a narrow 1-0 victory at Newcastle.
Callum Ball missed an easy chance for the visitors before Aaron Bott hit the bar and then the post for Castle.
Raajan Gill saved well for Castle, who suffered a blow at half time when Will Bailey went off injured.
The visitors had much the better of the second half as Town battled to repel the physical attacks from Stamford until 12 minutes from the end when Ollie Brown-Hill was on hand to slot home what proved to be the decisive moment of the game.
The win leaves Stamford in fourth place and Newcastle lounging in 18th.
League leaders Basford suffered a surprise 1-0 loss away at Gresley, who lie in 20th place.
The visitors were reduced to ten men a minute before the half-time whistle as defender Kieran Fenton received a second yellow card.
They managed to hold on until Daniel Quinn gave Gresley the lead on 85 minutes with a closerange shot.
At the other end of the table, the clash between bottom-placed Sheffield and Romulus ended evenly with a 2-2 draw
The only action of note in the first half was a straight red card for Sheffield defender Julian Lawrence.
This proved costly as Romulus opened the scoring four minutes after the break, with Zak Lilly finding the net.
The visitors retained their lead until Sheffield equalised on 72 minutes, with midfielder Andrew Gascoigne making a great run and taking a shot, which was charged down by the Romulus defence.
James Gregory picked up the rebound and lashed it home off the far post to give Sheffield a lifeline.
Malachi Farquharson
responded ten minutes later, but Romulus could not hold on to their lead as Adam Chapman made the most of some late pressure and stabbed home to share the spoils, leaving Sheffield in last place on 26 points, with Romulus just one point ahead.
The same 2-2 result was seen as Kidsgrove Athletic hosted Lincoln United, the home side wasting a two-goal lead to share the points.
Rumineo Valido Barai opened the scoring on 14 minutes, slotting into the bottom corner, with Lee Cropper adding a second two minutes later as he tapped in from close range
Paul Grimes reduced the deficit on the hour mark, and despite Lincoln being reduced to ten men on 63 minutes as Charlie Ward got a second yellow, Grimes bagged a second three minutes from time to restore parity.
Spalding United and Market Drayton
Town also shared the points in a goalless draw, which sees Spalding remain in 15th place on 32 points, and Drayton four points and four places below them. A mid-table clash saw
Carlton shock Belper with a 4-1 home win, lifting them to 14th place and just four points adrift of Belper.
Mamoke Akaunu opened the scoring for the home side after 13 minutes, but Jack Hallahan’s David Beckham-esque free-kick cancelled out.
Ben Hutchinson put Carlton back in the lead five minutes into the second half.
A red card shown to Carlton full-back Darol Lucas did not stop Jordan Wilson from making it three on 87 minutes, before Akaunu scored his second one minute from time.
It proved to be a fair result on reflection.