Saturday leagues: Carlton eye early finish to title race

Premier Division outfit Carlton Athletic are showing no sign of letting up in their pursuit of the title as their tremendous form continues.
Ilkley goalkeeper Harry Higgins makes a brave save but eventually Carlton won through this Premier Division contest 4-2. PIC: Steve RidingIlkley goalkeeper Harry Higgins makes a brave save but eventually Carlton won through this Premier Division contest 4-2. PIC: Steve Riding
Ilkley goalkeeper Harry Higgins makes a brave save but eventually Carlton won through this Premier Division contest 4-2. PIC: Steve Riding

Carlton have not lost a league game since March and know that should they pick up three points away at Hartshead this week, they will be crowned champions.

Chairman/assistant manager, John Flynn, said: “The lads are really looking forward to the Hartshead game.

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“We beat them 6-1 earlier in the season but they were a much stronger squad than that score line suggests. They made us work very hard for that result.

Anees Younis, of  Carlton, sets off on a run. PIC: Steve RidingAnees Younis, of  Carlton, sets off on a run. PIC: Steve Riding
Anees Younis, of Carlton, sets off on a run. PIC: Steve Riding

“These last four or five weeks have just been unbelievable because sometimes we have played four or five games in seven days.

“I honestly can’t get over how well the team has played given the schedule. Consistently we have outworked teams. I don’t know what they’re putting in the tea but they sure are a fit group of lads.”

Should Carlton fail to pick up any points at Hartshead they would face the daunting prospect of needing at least a point against Beeston St Anthony’s to claim the title.

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“We would like to avoid needing to beat or draw with Beeston on the last day to win the league,” admitted Flynn.

Scott Hargreaves shoots for Carlton in the 4-2 Premier Division victory over hosts Ilkley. PIC: Steve RidingScott Hargreaves shoots for Carlton in the 4-2 Premier Division victory over hosts Ilkley. PIC: Steve Riding
Scott Hargreaves shoots for Carlton in the 4-2 Premier Division victory over hosts Ilkley. PIC: Steve Riding

“That would be a nightmare we want to avoid. But if it was to happen the lads know we can get the job done.

“We won the Leeds Challenge Cup this year and felt we would have won the West Riding Challenge Cup before we were kicked out for that ineligible player debacle.

“That really hit the team hard and we were left feeling very hard done by, so we want to finish on a high and win the league.

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“Last season we won the title with a 23-point margin. This year, winning it by goal difference will do for us.”

Leeds City are begging for the season to end with Carlton closing in fast. Sadly for Leeds, Carlton were on perfect form last week, beating Ilkley 4-2 to keep their title hopes firmly alive whilst ending Ilkley’s aspirations of a fourth-place finish.

Beeston had forced Ilkley into needing a point against Carlton to finish fourth by beating them 3-1 earlier in the week.

Despite going behind thanks to a Tim Edney header, Beeston recovered at St Anthony’s Road and ran out 3-1 winners.

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Beeston’s hopes of lifting the trophy were shattered, however, on Monday after they suffered a 3-2 defeat at Huddersfield Amateur, making it a straight fight between Leeds and Carlton for the title.

Elsewhere in the Premier Division, Hall Green United will finish bottom of the pile after a 3-1 defeat to Sherburn White Rose.

Headingley completed their season with a resounding 4-0 win at Huddersfield Amateur, while Amateur conceded four again come the weekend in a 4-4 draw with Hunslet Club. In Division One, Wyke Wanderers confirmed their place in the Premier Division next season with a crushing 5-2 victory over Aberford Albion, helped by the dismissal of Aberford duo Michael Hick and John Mallinson.

The victory was even more impressive considering the form Aberford have been in recently.

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They had been on a run of four straight victories and a few days earlier had crushed Wyke’s one-time promotion rivals Featherstone Colliery 10-0.

Mallinson was on target five times for Albion, with Dominic Blair netting a brace, while Surwaya Bojang and Bradley Newton were also on target.

An own goal completed a miserable day for Featherstone.

Title-hopefuls Whitkirk Wanderers finished on a high, putting themselves just one point behind the rampant Rawdon in the final league standings after a 4-2 victory at Oxenhope Recreation.

Amin Ahmed scored twice for Whitkirk while Daniel Sheriffe and Daniel Thorp were also on target.

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Things wouldn’t get any better for Oxenhope come the weekend, as they suffered a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of East End Park. In the final Division One fixture, Rothwell defeated bottom club, Brighouse Old Boys, 4-2 at Hipperholme and Lightcliffe School.

l Rawdon Old Boys completed a magnificent double last Wednesday evening with a 2-0 victory against Yorkshire Amateur League outfit Alwoodley in the West Riding FA County Challenge Cup at Fleet Lane.

But victory was bittersweet for Rawdon whose Chris Softley suffered a double break to his leg in scoring the second goal.

After a goalless first half, Daz Nicholls had earlier opened the scoring with a headed goal from a corner for Rawdon, who are heading for the West Yorkshire Premier as champions of Division One.

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In the West Riding County Amateur League, Steeton bagged the Premier Division Cup with Friday night’s 4-0 win against Campion at Brighouse Town. Andrew Biggs bagged a double with Andy Holden and Ben Richardson also netting.

West Horton lifted the Division One Cup last Wednesday evening with a 5-4 success on penalties against Golcar United Reserves after a 1-1 draw at Lower Hopton FC.

In the Premier, fifth-placed Littetown ended their season with a 1-0 loss at home to title-chasing Golcar United last Wednesday night.

In the Wakefield Saturday League Premier Division, third-placed Royston Cross obliged 4-2 at second-placed Crackenedge while Halton Moor moved fifth by emerging victorious by the same scoreline at bottom club Pontefract Town.

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Royston were also 5-0 winners at home to Pontefract last Wednesday evening.

Snydale Athletic claimed the Division One title with Sunday’s 9-1 hammering of sixth-placed visitors Red Lion Alverthorpe.

Durkar sealed a fourth-place finish with a 4-1 win at home to bottom club Walton Sports & Social last Wednesday evening, while Ryhill moved third by winning 7-1 at seventh-placed Ossett Dynamos the same night.

In Division Two, third-placed Waterloo shared a 1-1 draw with fifth-placed visitors Horbury Athletic on Saturday.

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Waterloo were beaten 5-2 at eighth-placed Snydale Athletic Reserves as champions AFC Heckmondwike won 4-0 at bottom club Howden Clough.

Nostell Miners Welfare sealed a second-place finish with a 5-0 win at second-bottom Crofton Sports Reserves while fifth-placed Horbury Athletic romped in 7-1 at tenth-placed New Carlton.