West Yorkshire League: Solid Glasshoughton Rock wrap up promotion at first time of asking

Formerly known as Rock Inn, they joined Division Two in 2018 off the back of an undefeated season where they claimed the Wakefield Saturday League Premier title, the Premier Division League Cup and the Jim Callaghan Cup.

Club secretary Neil Senior said: “It has all been a bit crazy. Our manager Paul Robinson came up with the idea to join this league, and we’ve been sorting out the Charter Standard as well.

“It’s been a hectic experience, on and off the field, and you want the best outcomes with anything you are entering, but we probably came into this a little bit blind. We are playing at a higher level against teams who are better prepared. The structure is a lot better, so you aim to do you’re best, but to achieve something like this is amazing, it’s like a right to riches.”

Glasshoughton lead Division Two on goal-difference but, with all their games played, Campion Reserves have four shots at taking the title for themselves, while Huddersfield YM can also finish ahead of Rock with maximum points from their last three games.

Campion have lost just one game league all season and Senior admits that his club would need a “miracle” to depart Division Two as champions.

“It would take a miracle for Campion to slip up with four games in hand while level on points with us,” he explained.

“Huddersfield are in the same boat, they would be on 60 points with three wins. I think we perhaps deserve the second spot, for all the effort, though third would still be a fantastic achievement.”

Rock will now set their sights on getting everything in place to allow them to move further up the football pyramid, and those plans are already being put into action. Senior added “We have Mark Jones who has been helping us out behind the scenes in regard to setting up the Charter Standard and he has taken on the role of development as well.

“His vision is superb, and he has a firm plan going forward with recruitment and improving our facilities. I want to thank everyone, from our manager, his assistant Kevin Causier and the committee, to the players, and the fans who support us come rain or shine.

“John Carter, who owns the Rock Inn pub where we all go after games, has been so supportive as well.”

Hunsworth’s forfeit win over Knaresborough Celtic was the only scheduled Division Two game of the weekend. Boroughbridge moved to within a point of the Division One summit after they defeated leaders Hall Green United 4-2.

Both sides know they will play Premier Division football next season, but business is far from over with champions yet to be crowned. Aberford Albion defeated Rothwell 2-0 in midweek, meaning Newsome’s 2-1 loss to Hartshead confirmed Aberford as the third team to earn promotion.

Featherstone Colliery took a big step towards safety after beating relegation-rivals Leeds Modernians 2-1, while Oxenhope Recreation bounced back from their 6-3 loss to Hartshead by defeating rock-bottom Howden Clough 2-1. Modernians had earlier seen off East End Park 2-0, and East End’s week worsened with a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Otley Town.

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CARLTON Athletic are now seven points clear at the top of the Premier Division after they thrashed Salts 8-2, writes JAMIE WOODHOUSE.

Anees Younis hit a four-goal haul in the second half while James Kitson hit a double to go with goals from Liam Moore and Joe Kenny. Leeds City’s midweek 3-1 win over Whitkirk Wanderers was enough to send them second ahead of Beeston St Anthony’s. But, with two games in hand over their rivals, St Anthony’s will soon look to recapture that place.

Ilkley Town faced both of the bottom two sides, starting with a visit to Salts. Tom Smith’s double had set Town up for a routine win, but their fellow Bradfordians showed fight as Wayne Walsh made it 2-1, leaving the visitors with a tense finish as they clung on to the win.

They had an easier time of things when they faced another of their neighbours and bottom-club Wyke Wanderers. The hosts came into this off the back of a 1-1 draw with Robin Hood Athletic but, when Smith netted twice again and James Hudson grabbed another, a 3-0 away win was in the bag for Town.

Ilkley sit fourth and are now 12 points clear of Hunslet, but the Leeds side have four games in hand.

Headingley and Rawdon Old Boys look set to scrap it out over the final relegation place, and it was Rawdon who struck a big blow when they ran out 2-0 winners at Weetwood Playing Fields.

In keeping with both sides’ lack of consistency this season, Headingley played out a 1-1 draw with Knaresborough Town Reserves come the weekend, while Rawdon were thrashed 5-1 by Field.

Rawdon now hold a one-point advantage over Headingley and both sides have three games to play. Only one can secure their Premier Division future. It was a week to forget for Sherburn White Rose, who were thrashed 6-0 by Knaresborough and then 5-1 by Huddersfield Amateur.

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LITTLETOWN kept the West Riding County Amateur Football League title race alive for another week as they edged out Ovenden West Riding 2-1, writes THOMAS RITCHIE.

First-half goals from Sam Jordan and Michael Halessellasie proved to be enough to hand the hosts their eighth straight league win. Nat Sloane’s strike after the interval wasn’t enough to help Ovenden snatch anything from the game, as they sank to their sixth defeat in their last seven games.

Victory for Littletown leaves them four points behind leaders Golcar United with both sides having two games remaining, whilst Ovenden will finish the season in 10th regardless of what happens in their final game.

Littletown also booked their place in the Heavy Woollen FA Wheatley Cup final with Thursday’s 2-1 triumph against West Yorkshire League side Hartshead.

Goals from Curtis McMahon and David Paul McDonald sealed a date with Yorkshire Amateur League outfit Gildersome Spurs Old Boys in the final on May 2.

Route One Rovers exited the Wharfedale FA Challenge Cup at the semi-final stage on Saturday through a 2-0 loss against the West Yorkshire League’s Pool whose Billy Drake and Jack Farrimond both struck.

West Yorkshire League hig flyers Ilkley Town then beat the YAL’s Horsforth St Margaret’s 4-1 in Monday’s second semi-final with Harry Brown bagging a hat-trick and Tom Smith also netting. Horsforth had led 1-0 at the break through Callum Walker.

Elsewhere in the County Amateur League on Saturday, Ryburn United moved third and leapfrogged their opponents with a 5-2 win at TVR United.

Ryburn’s Reece Uttley hit a brace with George Turner also netting and Kerry Muncaster scored an own goal. Abid Khan and Danny Hussain were on target for TVR.