Around the League – Saturday, 26 October 2013

Spartans' disappointing 1-3 home defeat to newly promoted King's Lynn Town scuppered Wade's side's chance of moving into the top five last weekend. A fine Damen Mullen effort towards the end of the first half levelled the game after the visitors took the lead, but despite a better second half performance Blyth were beaten courtesy of goals from Jake Jones, Andrew Hall and Gregory Mills.

Croft Park was not the only ground in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League to see a deluge of goals last weekend, in five other games the ball hit the back of the net at least four times.

FC United of Manchester saw both Michael Norton and Greg Daniels notch braces in their 6-2 home win over Stocksbridge Park Steels. No-one could have predicted the score going into half time, with FCUM holding a narrow 2-1 lead. However, after the break the hosts turned on the style to move up to 9^th in the table.

Witton Albion also saw two players score braces in their 5-0 thrashing of Stafford Rangers. David Walker and Neville Thompson both grabbed two goals for the home side. The heavy defeat resulted in Rangers' goal difference drop an alarming -25, the highest in the League, as the club sits in 22^nd place.

Ashton United relied on two goals Martin Pilkington, as well as contributions from Joe O'Neill and Matthew Chadwick, in the 90^th minute, to record a 4-1 victory over Marine that will surely have surprised the neutrals. Josh Sumner scored a consolation goal for the Mariners 18 minutes from time.

Third placed Chorley kept themselves in contention for the title with a 4-1 away win at Sandy Lane. Conor Higginson gave the hosts the lead after just four minutes of play, but then Dale Whitham pegged the score back to 1-1 before the break. Joshua Hine earned Chorley the lead one minute before half time, then added the final nail to the Tigers' coffin 12 minutes from time after Adam Roscoe had previously stretched the visiting sides' lead to two goals.

In the final high-scoring game of the weekend AFC Fylde staged a comeback from one goal down to ensure they remained four points behind League leaders Skelmersdale. Visiting Whitby Town took the lead through Craig Farrell from the penalty spot before Adam Sumner in turn converted from 12 yards for the hosts. Two minutes later Matthew Blinkhorn gave Fylde the lead then, one minute from time, Daniel Lloyd-McGoldrick scored the goal that ensured the visiting side left empty handed.

Skelmersdale United also staged a comeback to stay top of the table, at The South Kesteven Sports Stadium. The Gingerbreads took the lead one minute shy of the hour mark, thanks to a Ben Fairclough effort. However, the Skem showed why they are currently the beast team in the League as Kenneth Strickland scored from the spot six minutes later to level the game, and then Matthew Hughes converted 16 minutes from time to break the hearts of the 206 strong crowd.

Frickley Athletic, who will visit Croft Park tonight, recorded a 2-0 win over bottom of the League Droylsden. Athletic scored early both sides of the break as Andy Villermann scored after just two minutes and Sam Denton doubled the host's tally nine minutes into the second half.

Both the Gladiators and the Dabbers surged to home victories with goals coming late in both games. Matlock left it very late relying on a Danny Holland effort just six minutes from time to dispatch an unlucky Robins side, witnessed by a large 498 strong crowd. Nantwich needed a two minute, two goal salvo from Aaron Burns and Benjamin Deegan to see off a Barwell side that still sits three places above them at 16^th.

In the final game of the weekend Trafford and Buxton played out a 0-0 draw at Shawe View. The hard earned point kept Trafford 20^th, two points above the drop zone and Buxton 8^th - just one point behind Spartans at the end of the weekend's fixtures.

Rushall Olympic and AFC Flyde's fixture was postponed due to the Pics competing against Grimsby Town for a place in the first round proper of the FA Cup. Sadly for the League, Olympic were defeated 3-0 but Rushall's cup conquest will surely prompt other teams to strive to emulate it.