Highfield march on

HIGHFIELD Athletic remain two points clear at the top of the Chester & District League Queensferry Sports Premier Division after they won 6-3 at Crossway Athletic on Saturday.

Hat-trick hero Chris Larson, Ross Broadbent, Matty Makin and Matty Cross did the damage with Paul Thomas and Aaron Edwards reducing the deficit.

Railway Athletic were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Chester Nomads 2nds, meaning Kelsall moved above them into second with a 3-1 victory at Saughall Thursday (Craig Stewart).

Waggon & Horses are now one place behind Nomads in fourth after a 2-1 triumph at home to Heswall Windows given to them Brad Mortimer and Danny Goodwin.

Hoole Rangers (Peter Wheeler) drew 1-1 at home to Groves as Cross Foxes fell to a 3-2 defeat at Sutton Way Villa (Jamie Curtis 2, Nathan Eccleston).

Nick Askey (3) starred as Ashton bagged the bragging rights with a 5-0 Olympic Trophies Division One derby win at Barrow Athletic.

Frodsham Vets picked up their second point of the season by drawing 2-2 at Tarvin 2000 Athletic. Chester Nomads 3rds also drew, 1-1 at home to Halfwayhouse Celtic (Martin Woods).

Duddon United (Rob Lawton) lost 2-1 at home to Kelma (Simon Tierney, John Walker), as did Neston Nomads (Alex Clare) away to Rangers Breaks (John Westlake, Dave Duffield).

Manor Athletic edged their table-topping battle at Wirral neighbours Levers Athletic 7-4.

Cestrian Alex kept up the pressure on the Drury Electrical Wholesalers Division Two leaders with a 6-2 success over Lodge Bar.

Dave Hughes (pen), Jay Sinnott, Andy Stockton, Adi Gough (2) and Callum McLachlan shared the strikes for the second-placed visitors with Mel Swanick and Adam Smith offering the Lodge replies.

Waggon & Horses Reserves were unable to do Cestrian Alex a favour as they went down fighting 3-2 at pacesetters Shaftesbury Youth Club (Lee Griffiths, Lewis Trodden, Danny Smith).

Title dark horses Peacock 09 (Dan Stevenson 2, Richie Coultard, Mark Legg, Sean Finch) were 5-0 winners at home to Chester Celtic.

Uberlube (Paul Tomlinson, Steve Dodd, Mat Elson) won 3-2 at home to Hoole Rangers Reserves (Kev Lloyd, Mike Bryant) but Newton Bears (Matt Feeney 2) lost by the same score away to Raby Villa (Anthony Passingham, OG, Ashley Williams).

Lethal Dale Gilmartin fired five goals and Mike Waters and Paul Davies one each as Lache romped to a 7-0 victory at home to Peacock 09 Reserves in Link Up Division Three.

The impressive Jaz St Lawrence (4) and Joel Rogers were on target in Barrow Athletic Reserves’ 5-4 home win over Boughton Athletic.

Zone Fitness (Paul Lloyd 2, Ross Pringle, Stuart Bradbury) won 4-1 at home to Crossway Reserves (Andy Fish), with leaders Newton Wirral winning 5-2 at Barcode Athletic (Martin Conham, James McCormish).

Barnett is the hero

ANDY Barnett was the unlikely hero as Dee Rangers won 3-2 at Watergates to book their place in the third round of the Chester & District Sunday League Dale Recycling Solutions Cup.

Seconds remained when Barnett popped up with only the fifth goal of his 19-year playing career to settle what was an enthralling all-Concorde Trophies Section A clash. Dan Delgado and Robert Kennerley accounted for the other Dee strikes, with Dale Harris and Adam Lloyd taking Watergates close.

Saltney Ferry (Chris Herbert, Lee Butterworth) also progressed with a 2-0 home triumph over AFC Hilton.

Highfield Quinplex (Adam Davies 4, Ross Broadbent 3, Neil Field, Scott Rigby) are looking up in Section A after they stormed to a superb 9-2 home success over Upton Youth Centre.

Dee Miller Athletic (Simon Andrews 3, Danny Andrews, William Dodd, Sean Campbell) won 6-2 at Tarvin Rex (Dale Anchor, Shaun Roberts) as Western Rangers (Lee Williams 2, Richie Deponeo) returned to winning ways with a hard-fought 3-2 home victory over a Lache Park BA (Adie Carragher, Liam McGovern) side who would have grabbed a share of the spoils had it not been for the heroics of home goalkeeper Paul Davies.

Man of the match Nathan Freeman (2), Andrew Reid and Chris Williams netted as Vicars Cross Dynamos moved two points clear at the top with a 4-1 home win over FC Blacon (Scott Chard).

Aaron Hinchliffe scored the perfect hat-trick – goals with his left foot, right foot and head – as Chester Chronicle Section B title challengers AFC Werburghs ran out 6-0 winners at Saltney SC.

Gareth Breeze, Shaun Davies and David Hall – with a 40-yard volley – also got in on the act.

Free-scoring leaders Elton (Lee Guirado 3, Mark Hobson 2, Mark Richards 2, Danny Jarrett, Dan Davies, Richard Keen) romped to a 10-0 home victory over Waverton as second-placed AFC Lache (Jamie Kelly 3, Chris Donnell, Scott Beech) won 5-1 at home to Rileys despite having their goalkeeper sent-off early in the second half.

St Theresa’s PC (Louis Mackin 2, Jamie Gill) shaded their basement battle at Tattenhall 3-2 as struggling Piper fell 3-0 at home to FC Bull & Stirrup (Adam Pownall, Mark McCully 2).