West Yorkshire League: Three from three from a familiar-looking top three

Champions Carlton followed their opening-day 3-0 defeat of bottom-club visitors Headingley with a 5-0 cruise at third-bottom Robin Hood Athletic last Wednesday evening.

Nathan Kemp’s brace was supported by a goal each from Luke Booker, Scott Hargreaves and Anees Younis with the triumph followed by Saturday’s 3-0 success at home to Knaresborough Town whose own perfect start was ended with Boro fifth. Younis followed his midweek strike with a double, with James Law also netting after coming off the bench.

Leeds City backed up their opening-weekend 3-1 triumph at Salts with a midweek 4-1 success against visiting Headingley for whom a Mikkel Mortenson strike was in vain.

Last season’s runners up City then dished out a 3-1 beating to visiting Field on Saturday but the Leeds side are second on goal difference behind Carlton.

Beeston, who finished third last term, followed their opening-day 2-0 win at home to Rawdon Old Boys with Wednesday’s 3-2 success against visiting Horbury Town who are second bottom.

Sean Jeavons bagged a brace for Beeston for whom Stephen Crawford also struck and it was a similar story on Saturday with the same two players netting in a 2-0 triumph at fifth-bottom Huddersfield Amateur.

Last season’s Division One champions Rawdon Old Boys have bounced back from their opening-day defeat at Beeston in perfect style, firstly through a 2-1 verdict at home to fellow top-flight new boys Wyke Wanderers.

Harry Fryer and Tom McMillan both netted for Rawdon as a Louis Sterling strike proved insufficient for Wyke who are fourth bottom.

Rawdon then recorded a 2-0 win at home to Headingley on Saturday with Fryer again on target in addition to Matthew Tollefson.

Like Rawdon, Knaresborough also have six points out of nine with Saturday’s loss at Carlton preceded by a 1-0 triumph against visiting Salts last Wednesday evening in which Steve Walker bagged the only goal of the game on the hour mark.

Hunslet Club are sixth with their opening-day 6-0 battering of visiting Wyke followed by two draws.

Last season’s Division One runners up Whitkirk Wanderers left Hunslet with a 1-1 draw last Wednesday with Ashley Bell striking the right note for Whitkirk as Lee Turner netted for Hunslet.

Hosts Salts were then held to a 3-3 draw on Saturday as Omri Linfoot, Ben Small and Ben Thornton netted for Hunslet to cancel out a Salts brace from Joel Beattie plus a Jonny Cunnington strike.

Whitkirk have begun life in the top flight in solid fashion with Wednesday’s 1-1 draw at Hunslet followed by a 2-2 stalemate at Robin Hood.

Andrew Benjamin and Ryan Clay struck for Whitkirk with Kieran Corley and Spencer Smith on the mark for Robin Hood.

In Saturday’s other games, Ilkley Town climbed to eighth with a 3-2 win at home to Sherburn White Rose who are ninth after their first defeat of the season. Thomas Fleming, Joe Garside and James Wilson bagged a goal each for Ilkley with a Daniel Middleton double not enough for Sherburn.

For Sherburn, the loss followed Wednesday’s 2-1 win at home to Huddersfield Amateur in which Middleton and Kyle Fish both netted. Ilkley lost 2-1 at tenth-placed Field the same night.

Aberford Albion are already the only team in Division One with a 100 per cent record and they sit two points ahead of Hall Green United.

Meanwhile, in the West Yorkshire League, all Saturday’s Alliance Division Two fixtures have been postponed.

Spokesman Stuart Marsden said in a statement: “Due to match officials’ work and holiday commitments, the League has had no option but to postpone all Alliance Division Two fixtures for Saturday, August 25, 2018.