STEP 5 & 6 ACTION

COMBINED COUNTIES

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BECKENHAM TOWN reinforced their position at the top of Premier South with a 7-1 away drubbing of

Guildford City.

Steve Townsend and sub Jamie Humphris bagged braces with Tunde Aderonmu, Nick Curran and Louis Theophanous chipping in with a goal each.

Second-placed Walton & Hersham beat visitors Colliers Wood United 3-0 with Ben Krauhaus opening the scoring with his maiden goal for the Swans before Eddie Simon and Dean Rule struck.

Luke Atkins hit two goals and Jack Knight, Alpha Diallo and Lee Peacock one each in Redhill’s 5-0 win at Knaphill while AFC Croydon Athletic beat visitors Molesey 4-0 with a double from Nahum Green, including a penalty, and a goal each from Abbas Agoro and sub Joe Nwoko.

Strikes from Matty Matthews, Mal Thomas, sub Jake Hawker and an own goal gave Badshot Lea a 4-1 home win over Cobham while goals from Toni Kozakis, Jamie Pearce and own goal saw Sheerwater win 3-1 at

Frimley Green and Pettet Shemar and Joe Weston netted for Fleet Town in a 2-1 win at Banstead Athletic.

Camberley Town won 2-1 at Horley Town thanks to goals from Adam Poynter and Daniel Duncanson and

Raynes Park Vale were held to a 4-4 draw at home to Farnham Town.

In Premier North, runaway leaders Hanworth Villa won 2-1 at Reading City with Meshach Williams and Bruno Tingle netting.

Daryl Cooper-Smith, Carl Bower, Evan Lopes, Marcus Williams and Archie Vincent scored for hosts Abbey Rangers in a 5-1 win over Wembley.

Ascot United won 4-0 at Burnham thanks to strikes from Keaton August, George Lock and Tom Scott and an own goal and there were doubles for Turnell Sinclair and Josiah Bridgeman in Virgin Water’s 5-1 home win over

Edgware Town.

Anthony O’Connor, Darreon Mark and Lewis Putman scored for hosts

Southall in their 3-0 win over second-placed North Greenford United and Holyport lost 3-1 at home to Tadley Calleva who scored through Brett Denham, Aaron Parfitt and Ben Wright.

Elsewhere, Kelvin Karanja scored for

Spelthorne Sports in a 1-0 win at St. Panteleimon, Jack Mullan gave hosts

Wokingham & Emmbrook a 1-0 win over CB Hounslow United and Brendan Matthew helped Egham Town to a 1-0 win over Windsor.

ROBIN JONES

UNITED COUNTIES

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JAMIE SLEIGH helped himself to four goals and Lewis Rourke scored the other as Heanor Town recorded their third Premier North win on the bounce by beating visitors Anstey Nomads 5-3.

Two goals from James Spruce, including the 90th-minute winner inbetween one from William Mansfiel, saw Heather St John return from Leicester Nirvana with a 3-2 victory.

Newark beat basement visitors

Holbeach United 4-1. Bagging a brace was Richemone Sylla, while netting on their debuts were Isaac Currie, from the spot, and Joshua Mandell

Two goals from Jordan Smith and one by Jonathan Lockie earned hosts Skegness Town a 3-1 win over Deeping Rangers while Dylan Edwards and Cam Moore netted for hosts Loughborough Students in their 2-0 win over

Eastwood CFC.

A hat trick for Henry Eze and a Paul Anderson free-kick earned Melton Town all three points in a 4-1 win over visitors Boston Town.

Matt Langham converted an early penalty to give Hinckley LRC a 1-0 home win over Easington Sports and keep them a point clear at the top of Premier South. The hosts had Jarred Acton sent off for a second yellow card.

Harborough Town missed out on the chance to go top when they went down 3-1 at Wellingborough Town who netted twice through Jake Newman and a Lloyd Buckby penalty.

Jake Watkinson hit a hat-trick for hosts Newport Pagnell Town in their 3-0 victory over Potton United while

Biggleswade United hauled themselves off the bottom of the table with a morale-boosting 3-1 victory over visitors GNG Oadby Town thanks to strikes from Josh Sturniolo, Milo Keane and sub Mohammed El-Ouhabi.

Elsewhere, Archie Elmore netted

Cogenhoe United’s winner with just two minutes lto go against visitors

Rothwell Corinthians after Tom Wakley opened their account, Desborough Town were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Rugby Town and Coventry United forced a 1-1 draw at Godmanchester Rovers.

Lutterworth Town drew 2-2 at home to Coventry Sphinx and Northampton ON Chenecks took over bottom spot after a 0-0 draw at Eynesbury Rovers.

On Friday night, a Cosmin Capatina brace set hosts Bugbrooke St Michaels on their way to a big 5-2 win over Long Buckby.

ROBIN JONES

MIDLAND LEAGUE

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HANLEY TOWN took another step towards the Premier Division title with a 2-0 victory over Whitchurch Alport while nearest challengers Lichfield City slipped up at home to Shifnal Town.

Charlie Walford tapped in the opener for Hanley on 15 minutes but it took until the 77th minute before they wrapped the points up thanks to a deflected Reece Jones effort.

Goals from Matthew Barnes-Homer and Ashley Brown were enough to hand Shifnal the points at Lichfield for whom Dan Lomas replied while Stone Old Alleynians were also 2-1 winners at Walsall Wood helped by a first minute Kamol Campbell own goal.

Boldmere St Michaels ran out 3-0 winners at basement club Bewdley Town with Alex McSkeane bagging a goal in each half while two penalties from Steve Nicholson helped Haughmond to a 3-0 win at home to fellow strugglers Wolves Casuals.

A Dean Morris penalty handed Romulus a 1-0 victory at Racing Club Warwick while Tividale drew 2-2 at Uttoxeter Town and Stourport Swifts drew 1-1 at Lye Town.

The day’s other Premier game saw Reiss Taylor-Randle net a 64th minute winner for Worcester City in their 2-1 victory at Highgate United.

It was business as usual in Division One where the top three all recorded victories. Leaders Atherstone Town won 3-0 at Wolverhampton SC, nearest challengers Stapenhill were 2-0 winners at home to Nuneaton Griff while Darlaston Town 1874 were 5-0 winners at Dudley Sports.

WESTERN LEAGUE

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MOUSEHOLE took advantage of the top two sides taking a break from league action as they closed the gap on the leaders with a comfortable 2-0 victory at Brislington.

The visitors were ahead after 16 minutes through Louis Price’s sharp low finish and pulled further clear before the break as Mark Golds pounced on a rebound.

Jack Taylor netted a second-half brace as fourth-placed Bridgwater United eased to a 2-0 victory at Bitton to maintain their pursuit of the leaders.

Will Hailston continued his prolific goalscoring form with a double to secure a 2-1 victory for Keynsham Town at Saltash United. Hailston has now notched up 24 goals in 34 games for Town.

Craig Veal tucked away an early penalty for Helston Athletic but they were pegged back by Mitch Osmond’s equaliser to earn Clevedon Town a point.

Wellington slumped to a third straight league defeat with Josh Webber’s goal after 16 minutes setting

Buckland Athletic on their way to a deserved 2-0 victory. Ryan Bush then made the points safe for Athletic.

Elsewhere, Shepton Mallet were left to rue a missed penalty as Millbrook grabbed a last-ditch equaliser.

Mallet dominated the first half but had to wait until seven minutes from time to take the lead through Aaron Seviour. The hosts then saw Nick Hewlett’s spot-kick strike a post before being punished with a late leveller.

TIM CLARKE

NORTH WEST COUNTIES

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A FOURTH straight win and clean sheet kept leaders Macclesfield

on course on a day when those chasing them did all they could to maintain pressure.

Macc had to dig deep to see through a 1-0 win at Runcorn Town following a 28th-minute breakthrough that went down as an own goal despite the presence of Tom Clare. Pressure grew in the second half with keeper Sam Ashton called upon to thwart Runcorn’s recent signing Bobbie McDonnell oneon-one.

Nearest rivals Skelmersdale United

returned to winning ways following a midweek defeat at Ashton Athletic by beating Irlam 2-0. Danny Mitchley struck in the 15th minute with Joe Nicholson doubling the advantage to keep the hosts within four points of Macc, albeit having played two more matches.

FA Vase quarter-finalists Wythenshawe Town, the last team to beat Macclesfield, bagged a big win at Avro,

who had kicked off in fourth place.

Steven Hewitt fired in the corner for Connor Brotherton to thump home a sixth-minute header before finding the net himself with a second half free-kick to secure a 2-0 win that keeps Wythy well in the hunt for promotion.

Bottom club Litherland REMYCA’s

recovery continued with a 5-0 thumping of Ashton Athletic. James Hammill’s 35-yard free-kick to round things off, his second of the day, was the pick of the bunch in what was Litherland’s third win in five league matches – they had won only four of the previous 28!

DAVE LAWRENCE

NORTHERN COUNTIES EAST

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It was stalemate in the big clash between the top two with neither Grimsby Borough nor Eccleshill United forced to share a goalless draw.

Grimsby went closet to finding a winner but the draw ensures they remain nine points clear, although Eccleshill have two games in hand.

The sides in third and fourth also met, with Garforth Town leapfrogging

Sherwood Colliery on goal difference after a 2-0 away win. First half goals from Joe Colley and Hass Gorji left the pair seven points further back from Eccleshill.

Handsworth were the day’s big winners as they thrashed Thackley 8-0, Antony Mackie with a hat-trick, Leon Howarth and Mitchell Dunne with braces and Kane Reece with one.

At the bottom, there was a crucial win for Albion Sports who won 2-1 at

Bottesford Town, Mohammed Qasim and Matthias Britton on target inside 12 minutes to move them a point off

Hemsworth Miners Welfare who were held to a 1-1 draw at AFC Mansfield.

Athersley Recreation slip to the bottom after losing 4-2 at Silsden while

Winterton Rangers fought back from two down to beat Staveley Miners Welfare 4-2, Josh Walker with a brace.

Malty Main also came from behind to beat Knarsborough Town 2-1 after second half goals from Jothathan Williams and Robert Chipps and Barton Town were also victorious at Emley by the same score having trailed early on.

Elsehwere, Penistone Church won 1-0 at Goole, Jordan Coduri with the only goal of the game.

DAVE LAWRENCE