Yorkshire Amateur League: Rothwell pull off the shock of the season

The Oulton outfit had been the whipping boys of the third tier, losing 12 consecutive games at the start of the season which reached its nadir in an 11-1 defeat to Grangefield Reserves.

A rare Rothwell win improbably came against table-toppers Gildersome, for whom this was their first league defeat of the season with 16 games played.

The only numbers that mattered on Saturday, though, were the four goals scored by the home side with Danny Walker bagging a brace and Chris Nock and Ben Whiteley also notching.

Gildersome, who admitted they were ‘awful and outplayed’, got a scant consolation through Ben Keedy.

This result doesn’t affect the broader fortunes of either team, though.

Gildersome are still favourites for promotion and relegation is more than likely for Rothwell, as they are eight points behind Farsley Celtic Juniors Reserves having played more two games.

Elsewhere in Division One, the game between Old Batelians and Dewsbury Rangers was switched to Dewsbury’s Wakefield Road ground but it didn’t do the stand-in hosts any good as they lost 3-0.

Batelians were 2-0 up at half-time with Jermaine Moyce’s early goal and a spot-kick five minutes before the break from Luke Adams.

Robert Johnson sealed the deal in the 82nd minute to put the visitors into sixth place.

Huddersfield YMCA stayed fifth with a 2-0 victory over Farsley Celtic Reserves at Fulneck School.

YMCA got their fifth straight win but had to wait until the second half for Craig Burns’ and Luke Simpson’s winning goals.

There was a comparable shock in the Championship as vastly improved Calverley United hit the peak of their resurgence by beating Morley Town 3-1 at Calverley Park.

Two 17 year old’s impressed in United’s win – their young goalkeeper and Louis Squires, who scored the opener on his full debut.

Tom Westerman and Kale Thoma also struck.

Kevin Mackay was on target for the Morley first team on a rare bad day at the office for the club, who lost all three games they took part in.

Shire Academics won their crucial game against Alwoodley Reserves, set for the drop, 3-0 at Bedquilts recreation ground.

Cal Chalkley, Robin Layton and Matt Nicholson were the goalscorers in a routine Shire success.

Meanwhile, the top two will be looking nervously over their shoulders as Drighlington continued their romp up the table with a 4-2 defeat of Leeds Medics Reserves.

The Medics took an unexpected 1-0 lead into the break as Nick Maxwell took advantage of a collision with the keeper to score from 25 yards.

Although Maxwell would net a second, capping a scintillating move, later on it was the brace scored by Ryan Rhodes, added to efforts from Shane Sowden and Brett Thompson, that came in a winning cause.

Only two games survived in a reduced Premier Division schedule and they both went with form.

Trinity couldn’t built on their surprise win over Alwoodley a fortnight ago and were outclassed by Grangefield Old Boys in a 5-1 reverse.

They conceded two penalties, both slotted by Luke Hunter and James Kemp, while Matt Tomlinson, Andy Kenyon and Tom Pickup added to Trinity’s dire goal difference of -54.

Oli Nunwick’s goal, his second in two games since moving up from the reserves, was the single positive the bottom side could take from the game at St Theresa’s School.

With Alwoodley wobbling in the league, the fight for the title looks to be coming down to a two-horse race between Stanley United and Farsley Celtic Juniors, who eased past Farnley Sports 5-1.

Josh Maskill opened the floodgates in the 31st minute and Louis Surtees doubled the lead.

Joe Firth curled in a handsome third from 18 yards, before Danny Lyons got his customary two goals late on.

Scott Horner’s Farnley are in the semi-finals of the League Cup but can’t buy a win in the league after only managing six points in the last ten games.

In a rearranged Old Boys Shield quarter-final, Alwoodley easily overcame Beeston Juniors 4-0 to regain some confidence after two league defeats.

Alwoodley, who progress to play St Mary’s Yarm in the semis, relied on a couple of scrappy goals but there was no doubt about Graham Shaw’s penalties either side of half-time.

A ricochet off a Beeston defender led to the second and Dan Whincup hit the fourth.