Leeds Combination League: Main Line back on track after double-figure win

Hot shot Bradley Francis-White put four past a sorry visiting side to take his seasonal haul to 22 goals and to re-establish his side’s 13-point lead at the summit. There were further braces for Will Harrison and Callum Woodhouse, while Brad Sharrocks and Jimmy Halliday got in on the act at Cliffe Park.

Elsewhere, Whitkirk Wanderers backed up the previous weekend’s 3-3 draw with Main Line with a 2-0 win at Hare & Hounds that sent them third.

Inconsistent sides Colton and South Leeds Independent shared a 2-2 draw with doubles from Mikey O’Brien and Joe Childerson respectively.

There were no surviving games in the top flight.

In Division One, the postponement of Swillington Welfare’s trip to Garforth Sports & Social saw closest challengers New Pudsey ramp up the pressure on the leaders with a 4-1 win at Original Oak.

Lee Poulter opened the scoring in the first half, before the hosts pulled one back to equalise. Three goals in 20 second-half minutes, including two from Jamie Nolan and one from Brodhi Wilkinson, powered Pudsey to an important victory.

Kippax Band Club strengthened their hold on fourth with a narrow 4-3 defeat of Leodis United at Leeds Road. Indiscipline cost the visitors dearly as Daniel Birkin’s hat-trick of penalties and Richard Jackson’s strike paved the way for Kippax’s third consecutive win. Ricardo Brown, John Sykes and Jordan Mudd notched in the losing cause.

FC Broadway left Potternewton Rec with a 4-2 win over Chapel Allerton, as Jack Downs scored twice and Matthew Walker once.

No one could dislodge East Leeds AFC from the summit of Division Two despite the postponement of their game at Brick. Millshaw Park Rangers beat AFC Travellers 4-1 with goals from Aiden Philip, Scott Carter, Adam Jarrett and Oliver Woodhead, while James Wardle scored a consolation for the away team. Commercial HQ shared the spoils, 3-3 with Waterintobeer, as Chris Jones scored for Commercial alongside Nick Sutcliffe and Andy Butcher. These were cancelled out by Luke Shearer’s brace and a Luke Downing effort.

Royal Park Leeds’ striker Jamie Halsall hit a hat-trick to pile misery on winless FC West Leeds (Guiseley). Tim Dent and Brendan Mullen’s goals completed the rout. Sporting Pudsey were held 1-1 by Corpus Christi at Hough Side. Kevin Saynor scored for Sporting, with Phil Jarvis equalising.

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FC Horsforth Saints’ lead at the top of Division Three is hanging by a thread after they were stunned by FC West Leeds Reserves in a 5-5 thriller.

Two goals from Jack Pennington and efforts from Peter Darbyshire, Matthew Whiteley and James Allan could not extend Horsforth’s run of five consecutive victories. The ninth-placed visitors grabbed a point through Rick Woollin’s brace and goals from Tom Kilmurray, Chris Sharkey and Craig Naylor.

Moortown Albion, with two games in hand, remain unbeaten and piled the pressure on top spot with a 7-2 win at Northern Star. Stuart Talbot scored twice in their fifth straight success and Craig Fish, Sean Morrell, Josh Edwards, Daniel Bell and Osa Odeh got their names on the scoresheet. Kieron Dieghan and Ryan Smith did the same for the losing side.

At Stanningley Park, third-placed Halfway edged past Barwick Stallions 2-1 with goals from Dale Hague and Adam Prince. Gary Crossley netted for fourth-placed Barwick, who lost for the first time since September.

Republica Internationale arrested a slide of four straight losses in style with a 6-0 thrashing of Millshaw Park Rangers Reserves. Goals came from Patrick Newton, scoring twice, Colm Fitzpatrick, Seamus Lundy and Oliver Lines, who also hit two. In a relegation six-pointer, Elford beat Temple comprehensively, 4-1. Khizer Sharif scored twice in Elford’s first and only victory of the season so far alongside Barba Rohman and Niall Wood’s efforts. Jamie Partner scored a Temple consolation.