West Yorkshire League: Athletic preparing to pounce in the home straight

Athletic sit just behind leading duo Beeston St Anthony’s and Leeds City, but have several games in hand over the pair.

Secretary Mark Pitts, however, believes those games do not mean his side will stroll to the title.

He said: “Games in hand don’t necessarily translate to three points.

“They aren’t automatic wins like people think but if we do win our matches, we are in the title picture.

“We still have to play Beeston and Leeds, but we can’t focus on them alone. Our attitude must be right for every game.”

Pitts expects at least one of the top sides to fall away in the closing stages of the season.

“It would be good for the spectator if the title was decided in the last round of fixtures, but one team is going to slip up whether it’s us, Beeston or Leeds,” he said.

“I think Ilkley, in fourth, have too much to do, but one of the top three will make a mistake.”

Leeds are back on top in the Premier Division, using their game in hand to perfection to jump Beeston. A 2-1 midweek victory for Leeds over Headingley gave them the ideal start, with goals from Mitchell Cameron and Sean Pitzpatrick giving them that precious win. They followed this up at the weekend by beating Horbury Town 1-0 at Adel WMA, as Luke Norman ensured his side ended the week as league leaders.

Beeston, however, made sure the gap remained at just a point, after they ended Hartshead’s undefeated home record this season, with a 1-0 victory. Ilkley Town’s stop-start season continued, as they handed Headingley their second loss in a week, thrashing them 6-1. Town’s top scorer Lee Spires netted four for the visitors, with Matty Whitehead grabbing a brace to complete the scoring.

Carlton remain intent on challenging for the title, after picking up a 3-0 away victory at Hunslet. At the opposite end of the table, Sherburn White Rose continued their push to escape the drop, picking up six points during the week.

Daniel Middleton netted twice to give them a 2-0 win over Horbury, before a 1-0 weekend win over Shelley left them just four points off 11th-placesd Hunslet.

Pool appear consigned to Division One football next season after their 1-0 loss at Field. The hosts are a side on the up, rising to eighth in the table after beating Knaresborough Town 4-3 at the weekend.

Hall Green United are also slipping deeper into the drop zone, losing 2-1 to Huddersfield Amateur before falling to defeat again days later at Robin Hood Athletic, this time 3-1.

In Division Two, Newsome were the only one of three title-chasing sides in action, as they defeated Baildon Trinity Athletic 3-1.

Kitson Gayle, Jamie Jobarteh and Dwayne Wilkinson, were all on target for Newsome. Baildon recovered by the weekend, as they put eight past Garforth Rangers in an 8-1 win.

Elliot Moody claimed a hat-trick for Baildon, with Graham Carney grabbing two, while Zachary Cronshaw and Steve Sample completed the scoring.

Neither Huddersfield YM nor Knaresborough Celtic could apply any late pressure on the top three,after playing out a 2-2 draw at Huddersfield YM Sports Ground.

****

THE topsy-turvy title battle continues in Division One with Whitkirk Wanderers resuming the leaders’ post, writes JAMIE WOODHOUSE.

With Rawdon Old Boys in midweek cup action, Whirkirk did what they needed to by defeating Howden Clough 2-0 thanks to goals from Fidel Mhlolo and Joseph Stuart. They then picked up their second win of the week, beating fellow title challengers East End Park 1-0. Rawdon were also able to beat a title rival, picking up a 3-1 win over Featherstone Colliery.

Featherstone had knocked Premier Division Knaresborough out of the League Cup earlier in the week, but were unable to continue that momentum into the Rawdon game.

The losses for East End and Featherstone to their title rivals may well end their hopes, paving the way to a straight fight between Whitkirk and Rawdon for the Division One trophy.

Wyke Wanderers were able to move ahead of both sides into third, with their 2-0 midweek win over East End, followed by a 2-1 win over Leeds Modernians on Saturday. Modernians had suffered a 2-1 defeat to Altofts earlier in the week, but any hopes for Altofts of gathering momentum for a relegation escape were shattered at the weekend, after a 2-1 defeat to Boroughbridge.

Aberford Albion were in red-hot form, netting 16 goals in two games. First they travelled to rock-bottom Brighouse Old Boys, thrashing them 8-1. John Mallinson netted five for Aberford, with Dominic Blair and Liam Parker also on target, with an own-goal completing a miserable evening for Brighouse. Aberford then hosted another relegation-threatened side on Saturday in the form of Howden, again putting eight on the scoreboard in an 8-0 win.

The goals were also flying in at Oxenhope Recreation, as Kippax recorded a 5-3 victory over their hosts. Brighouse versus Wetherby Athletic was postponed.