MIDDLEWICH completed the first leg of a possible treble when they lifted the Mid Cheshire League Division One Cup at Trafford last Wednesday by beating Pilkington 3-0.

They produced one of their best performances of the season but victory came at a cost with four players - Andy Whitney, Iain Stanton, Lee Murphy and Jonny Edwards - all helped off the pitch with injuries and Town ended the game with 10 men.

Murphy, scorer of the first goal, suffered a relapse of a knee injury and may be forced to retire from the game.

He put home a penalty after Jonny Edwards had been fouled and Mike Brandon lobbed in the second after being put through by Murphy.

Joey Roberts and Brandon hit the woodwork before the break and it wasn't until the 80th minute that the scoring was completed, by Brandon.

Daten 1 Middlewich Town 5: Town continued their march towards the Mid Cheshire Division One title on Saturday - and showed no mercy to rock-bottom Daten in the process.

A hat-trick from Joey Roberts and a Mike Brandon brace sealed the 5-1 victory which saw Terry Murphy's side open up a 19-point lead at the top and put them well on course for that treble - they play Barnton in the final of the Mid Cheshire District Cup.

Murphy is content with how his side are performing but thought they could have been more clinical in front of goal.

'We tore them apart,' he said. 'They were very poor, to be honest. We missed a few chances and I thought it was going to be one of those days.

'But it was always going to be hard after our cup win so it was a good performance all in all.'

Crosfields 1 Barnton 1: Bar nton dominated the first half with an excellent team performance but, apart from two half-chances, the Townfield side never put the home keeper under any real pressure and the first period ended goalless.

The hosts came more into the game in the second half but the breakthrough came on 70 minutes when a super strike from Wes Huizer gave Barnton a well-deserved lead.

With the game in added-on time, Alex Dunne had a great chance on 95 minutes but his effort was well off target.

From the goal kick, the ball found its way into Barnton's penalty area and was scrambled into the net with 96 minutes on the clock.

Boss Mark Came said: 'I'm gutted. It feels like a loss. They were never in it; where the referee got the extra six minutes from was a joke.'

Club AZ 3 Lostock Gralam 0: A depleted Lostock side paid the penalty at their fourth-placed hosts on Satu rd ay.

Lostock defended well for the first half an hour while creating little up front, but their resolve could not hold out and Club AZ's Marsden slotted home after Pete Gibbon failed to clear his lines.

The home side extended their lead after the break with a fine individual goal from Birdsey.

But the Grey Lambs were handed their first chance when Gibbon's drive was palmed off the line by the hosts' full-back, who was given his marching orders.

But Newman could not score from the spot as Lostock missed their fourth consecutive spot kick.

Lostock could not make their advantage count and Club AZ sealed the win late on.

Lostock Reserves 1 Kidsgrove 2: In a bad-tempered affair, Lostock shot themselves in the foot, conceding a penalty in the first half and then an own goal in the second.

Harrison's effort halved the deficit late on but it was too little too late.