Leeds Combination League kicks off with pacesetters Kirkstall Crusaders blown away by Bardsey

Bardsey Sunday, now fifth on the ladder, stunned the pacesetters who still retain a three-point cushion over second-placed HT Sports who were without a game. Roman Neal bagged two of the Bardsey goals.

Four-star Colton FC overcame spirited basement side Seacroft WMC 4-2 to stay fourth on the ladder, level on points with third-placed Main Line Social, also without a fixture on re-start day.

Ashley Bell, Joshua Gould, Michael O’Brian and substitute MacCauley Walker netted for the hosts while Jordan Riley got on the scoresheet for the Clubmen.

Life doesn’t get any easier for Seacroft WMC with a scheduled home fixture against table-topping Kirkstall on Sunday.

Consistent Colton, meanwhile, entertain HT Sports who will be eager to, at the very least, maintain that gap held over them by Crusaders, who shouldn’t take Seacroft too lightly as they have shown at times this year that they can trouble teams.

Elsewhere, it’s a case of third-bottom taking on third-top in Bardsey Sunday and Main Line Social, and sixth-versus-fifth with Whitkirk Wanderers hosting Leeds Met FC.

In Division 1, leaders Wykebeck Arms FC opened up an 11-point gap on second-placed Oulton Athletic First with a 2-0 away win over Garden Gate, who remain third on the ladder.

Second-bottom New Armley were out-gunned 4-2 by visitors New Inn New Inn.

Danny Byford, Ben Howarth and Kyle Laycock (2) netted for New Inn New Inn, currently sitting fifth in the table.

It is worth pointing out that only two points separate New Armley and their double-barrelled mid-table rivals so the suggestion is that the jockeying for position would appear to be far from a foregone conclusion.

Fourth-placed Sheepscar, meanwhile, had little problem in dealing with gritty hosts Original Oak First, 6-2, a result that leaves Oak rooted to the foot of the division.

Second-placed Oulton Athletic have a chance to cut leaders Wykebeck’s advantage when they meet on Sunday, while fourth take on third in Sheepscar versus Garden Gate, and it’ll be seventh-v-sixth when Hunslet Club and Swillington Welfare lock horns.

In-form New Inn New Inn entertain basement side Original Oak First in the remaining scheduled fixture.

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seventh-placed Pudsey Bojangles turned the Division 2 tables on Western Juniors OB, one notch up the ladder in sixth.

The mid-table tussle finished 3-1 with Joshua Smith and David Thornton among the scorers for the victorious home outfit.

Second-placed Beck & Call showed cellar dwellers Republica International no mercy in a 3-0 victory that kept them level on points with leaders FC Scholes, who overcame spirited fourth-placed visitors, East Leeds Celtic, 3-1. Third-placed Harehills WMC went one better, disposing of Churwell - a side sitting handily in fifth place on the league ladder - 4-1.

Daniel Marcinkowski, David Morley, Estefano Muhongo and Nathan Swires were on target for the Clubmen with Connor Sikora netting for Churwell.

Sunday’s scheduled fixtures have thrown together some interesting pairings, notably top-of-the-tree FC Scholes entertaining second-placed Beck & Call FC, and Pudsey Bojangles looking to continue their progress at home to third-placed Harehills WMC.

Republica Internationale may see a chance of points at home to Churwell (currently fifth) while second-bottom (ninth) West Yorkshire Falcons entertain Halfway House, who are in eighth momentarily.

Western Juniors OB, the sixth-placed club in the division, will welcome fourth-placed East Leeds Celtic.

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Athletico Bramley bagged an unlikely point at Division 3 leaders Old Crooked Clock.

It finished one apiece with Jamie Kenny netting for the hosts, but Clock are now only three points clear of second-placed Bramley Lions who saw off visitors Bramley Amateurs 4-1 on their return to action last Sunday after leading 2-1 at half-time.

Armando Andrade, Levente Macsay and Kynan Wrigglesworth (2) were on target for Lions.

Headingley Rovers Firsts, sitting pretty in fourth at the moment, showed second-bottom visitors Farnley Rangers no mercy.

Michael Evans led the charge towards their 12-0 triumph with five goals with Joshua Flynn and Jordan Parkinson chipping in with a brace apiece while Jason Clark, Mark Elgar and James Hussain completed the rout.

Low-mid-table Leeds Hyde Park turned the pre-break formbook on its head with a 6-1 success at fifth-place Crown & Anchor for whom Finlay Penman was the only man to find the back of the visitors’ net. Third-bottom Leeds Alpha did their situation nothing but good with a 5-1 victory at Northern Star First who sit just two places above the visitors on the league ladder.

On Sunday, leaders Old Crooked Clock will see a chance at Leeds Hyde Park to improve their advantage, a target that could benefit from the result between third- and second-placed sides Little London and Bramley Lions.

Elsewhere, Athletico Bramley entertain Headingley Rovers, Bramley Amateurs are at home to Crown & Anchor, sixth-placed Energy FC take on Leeds Alpha, bottom side Swarcliffe FC First travel to fellow strugglers Farnley Rangers, and AFC Daisy visit Northern Star.

In Division 4, Bramley Amateurs FC Reserves were hit 4-0 at home by FC North Leeds, Club 97 overran visitors Oulton Athletic Reserves 5-1, North Leodis edged Oakley First 2-1, and hosts Sporting Pudsey were held 1-1 by Headingley Rovers Reserves FC.

This coming Sunday, North Leeds entertain Headingley Rovers, Kippax OB are at home to Oulton, North Leodis visit Oakley First, Club 97 make the trip to Spartak Leodis, and Sporting Pudsey take on Amaranth Crossgates.

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