West Yorkshire League: Best still to come from table-topping Carlton Athletic says boss Mark Pitts

Yet the message from Premier Division leaders Carlton Athletic is the best is yet to come with firepower fuelled by the return of hot-shot trio Scott Hargreaves, Liam Moore and Nathan Kemp.

Athletic maintained their place at the top of the West Yorkshire League with Saturday’s 4-0 success at home to Rawdon Old Boys in a fiery contest which saw Carlton’s Joseph Kenny and Rawdon’s Harry Fryer sent off.

But the contest was just as significant for the return of leading marksman Hargreaves who has been out since the start of the season with a hip flexor problem.

Back fit, boss Mark Pitts launched Hargreaves straight into the side and the striker took just seven minutes to make an immediate impact when netting the opening goal of the game. The Athletic tally was later doubled by another recently returning striker in Moor who has been unavailable because of commitments with working and moving house.

A third forward in Kemp is also nearing a return after being unavailable of late and Pitts is, not surprisingly, in positive mood.

“Things have improved dramatically in the fact that we haven’t had a striker available for up to the last three weeks,” said Pitts.

“We have got four strikers signed on and we transferred James Allan from Shelley. He was here for two weeks and did really well and then unfortunately Goole, in the Northern Counties, made him and offer and they are two leagues up from us. He decided to go and we wouldn’t begrudge anybody from going to improve themselves.

“Then we have had loads of problems with unavailability but now we have got Scott and Liam back together and we have got Nathan Kemp to come back in the next couple of weeks. He will be a massive boost for us as well and that puts us in a much stronger position because we are fairly strong at the back.

“We have only conceded 12 goals – I believe – I haven’t looked at the league table for a while.”

The table makes for decent reading with Athletic ahead of second-placed Leeds City on goal difference despite playing two games fewer following Saturday’s success in which Anees Younis and Harvey Walker also netted.

Second-placed Leeds City enjoyed a 4-1 triumph at home to 11th-placed Robin Hood Athletic for whom a Daniel Bridges strike proved in vain.

A James Burgess double plus goals from Adam Dutson and Adam Fowler saw City keep up the heat on Carlton.

Beeston St Anthony’s are one point back in third but with a game in hand on City following their 5-0 hammering of seventh-placed visitors Whitkirk Wanderers. Sean Jeavons and Daniel Daly both bagged doubles with Stephen Crawford also netting.

The ‘big three’ have an eight-point cushion back to fourth-placed Ilkley Town who eased to a 5-1 success at fourth-bottom Sherburn White Rose who ended the game with nine men. Headingley jumped to ninth with a 3-1 verdict at home to second-bottom Wyke Wanderers.

Ashley Austin, Joseph Cooper and Mark Freeman all notched for Headingley.

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BOROUGHBRIDGE moved to within three points of Division One leaders Aberford Albion as the goals were shared in a 5-0 blitz of bottom-club visitors Howden Clough, writes LEE SOBOT.

Dominic Creamer, Callum Rodgers, Michael Snowden, Christopher Simpson and Luke Fletcher all netted for ’Bridge – though leaders Aberford still have a game in hand.

’Bridge were the only side in the top three in league action and fourth-placed Newsome also closed in with a 3-1 triumph at second-bottom Wetherby Athletic.

Toby Hardaker put the struggling Tangerines in front but Craig Thompson levelled matters before Mark McSherry’s strike gave Newsome a 2-1 lead at the break. Lee Bradshaw added a third for the visitors 20 minutes from time. Newsome are six points behind Albion but have played three games more.

Fifth-placed Kirk Deighton Rangers were held to a 1-1 draw at Otley Town who moved seventh.

Roman Michael Neal’s strike was only enough to bag Deighton a point.

Sixth-placed Hartshead also had to settle for a draw following a 2-2 stalemate at ninth-placed Kippax.

Division Two leaders Campion saw their home clash against Ripon City postponed and Glasshoughton Rock moved second and two points off top spot with a 4-2 triumph at home to eighth-placed Kellingley Welfare.

Steven Hayes, Josh Prudhoe, Robbie Rice and Jamie Simpson all struck for Glasshoughton who have played one game more than Campion. Every other game in the division was postponed.

In Alliance Division One, third-placed Whitkirk Wanderers Reserves suffered only their second league loss of the season as Hartshead Reserves moved ninth with a 3-2 victory. Connor Charlton’s double proved in vain for Whitkirk.

Sixth-placed Robin Hood Athletic Reserves robbed the pockets of bottom-club visitors Oxenhope Recreation Reserves 5-3.

Stephen Hancock’s hat-trick was supported by goals from Corey Eaton and Mark Ryan to bring up the Athletic nap hand.

Leeds Modernians Reserves saw off visiting Carlton Athletic Reserves 5-0 to jump one place above them into 12th.

The game of the day in Alliance Division Two came at sixth-placed Ilkley Town Reserves who outscored seventh-placed visitors Kippax Reserves 6-5.

Alex Osborne and Declan Bradley both bagged braces for Ilkley for whom Benjamin Bradley and Joshua Brooks also struck.

Kippax’s Calum Goodall ended up on the losing side despite scoring a hat-trick in addition to strikes from Brad Hoyle and Harry Pickup.