Champs return with runaway win

The visitors have made a good start to life back in the Premier Division and they had the better of the opening exchanges with Adam Helliwell their stand out player.

They were unable to make that pressure count and found themselves behind when Robbie Graham found the top corner from 20 yards.

Carrington started to flood forward and Josh Hiley scored two quick goals before Tabor were dealt a further blow when Matty Helliwell received a second yellow card on the half hour mark.

Jordan Coduri volleyed home a fourth before the break after good work from Damien Randall on the right.

Coduri scored his second shortly after the restart and Carrington continued to make the extra man advantage count with further goals from Jay Carney (two), Randall, Carlton Pownall and Damon Gledhill-Nichols.

Andy Parker added a late consolation for Tabor.

Old Pond picked up their first league win of the season at the ninth time of asking with a 4-2 victory against Lee Mount.

Mount started on the front foot and Pond keeper Dan Barnes had to make a number of early saves.

Pond’s front two of Hayden Lewis and Wayne Allert then came to the fore as the visitors took the lead.

Lewis won a strong challenge and fed his strike partner who produced a fine chipped finish over Gareth Gaukroger in the home goal.

A combination of Dave Lawrence and Barnes kept another Lee Mount offensive out before Allert burst through three challenges before firing home.

The home side’s finishing let them down until Jordan Ryder lost his marker on the edge of the Pond area and fired into the roof of the net to make it 2-1.

Pond had a good spell before the break as an end to end match continued to entertain. Joe Shaw worked a one two with Jamie O’Callaghan but fired over; before Allert headed just wide from a Luke Sherry cross from the left.

Pond captain Shaw then slid Lewis through on goal and the striker calmly slotted his side’s third.

Lewis doubled his tally when Allert crunched through two tackles to present his strike partner with an easy finish to make it 4-2.

Mount’s Tom McGregor hooked the ball onto the bar and it was Pond’s day despite man of the match Allert winning and then missing a late penalty.

Feathers’ reward for a 3-2 win away to Beehive and Crosskeys in the big game in Division One is a 10-point lead at the top.

Feathers have played four games more than some of their promotion rivals but have now dropped the fewest points.

Oddfellows are up to seventh after beating lowly visitors Hens Face 5-2 in the only other game to go ahead in the section.

King Cross Park made it seven wins out of seven in the Second Division, coming out on top 7-2 against a Halifax Rangers side who seemed to lose heart after surrendering the lead.

The visitors showed their intentions early on and created a couple of decent chances but Rangers took the lead against the run of play through Sean Byrne’s superb goal after 15 minutes.

It was crafted by David Oakes, who swung over the ball deep into the penalty area, Byrne had much to do but his sublime touch and turn made the opening and he lashed the ball home.

Rangers could have doubled the lead, Shaun Kellett seeing his terrific first time volley cleared off the line and the King Cross ‘keeper superbly tipping over Byrne’s follow-up.

On the half-hour, Simon Ward’s free-kick evaded the Rangers defence and was headed home from close range by Andy Hodson-Walker. Within two minutes, Rangers appealed in vain for offside when the ball was touched home by Sam Dunkley, Three minutes later, Rangers skipper Brucey Forsyth upended Ward in the box, and Ward picked himself up to convert the penalty and give King Cross a 3-1 lead.

Byrne reduced the arrears following good link up play between Oakes and Howard Metcalfe, but within a minute King Cross walked through the Rangers defence and Dunkley rounded keeper Damon Parry for his second.

There was still time before the interval for Byrne to put the ball in the King Cross net but he was pulled back for offside.

Both sides had plenty of ball in the second half but King Cross used theirs more effectively.

It wasn’t until the last 15 minutes that they got a fifth goal through a stunning strike which completed Dunkley’s hat-trick.

This goal knocked all heart out of Rangers and Dunkley made it 6-2 before a lovely shot on the run by Evan Robinson swerved and beat Parry at his near post.

King Cross Park remain one point behind Halifax Hammers Reserves, who had their expected win over bottom side North Bridge Reserves. Hammers won 5-1.

Crown FC continued their recent meteoric rise by smashing nine goals past Ovenden Phoenix on Savile Park.

The Waring Green hostelry’s side have now racked up three league victories on the spin with their 9-2 triumph and put themselves on the edge of the promotion picture in their first season in the division.

In poor conditions, Craig Gabbitas’ side were on the front foot for most of the match and in Craig Gladwin had the day’s star performer. The front man hit five goals.

Also finding the net were Dave Phelan, Steven Tuite, Chris Payne and Robert Morrison.

For Ovenden, Adam Raynor scored a goal of the season contender whilst Brandon Wilkinson netted from the spot.