Oxenhope'S cup hopes were dashed last weekend as Bulldogs found their form to defeaqt the league leaders in the top tie of the day.

The Skipton side produced the few quality moments on a soggy pitch at Sandylands to win 4-1.

Chris Simpson opened for Dogs with a cracking free-kick after Mark Critchlow had been brought down and forced to retire. Ten minutes later Jimmy McConville made it 2-0.

Oxenhope forced a couple of very good saves ofrom James Wiggan when they started the second period with more gusto, but the home side made certain of victory when Simpson and McConville teamed up to set up Iain Tyrer from close range.

Jack Firth was the architect of the fourth, from McConville, the visitors having the last word with a consolation goal from Simon Knaggs.

Division One side Intake caused an upset when they toppled the second-placed team in the premier section, Bronte Wanderers 3-1. The visitors took the lead, but Intake refused to buckle and levelled just before half-time with a strike by Peter Burrows after fine approach work by Glen Taylor. The score enabled to the home side to take control during the second period and when the Bronte keeper could only parry a pile-driver from Richard Lambert, Nick Waring smash Intake into the lead. With ten minutes remaining, Mark Roberts took his season's tally into double figures with Intake's third.

Horton also produced a giant killing act at Skipton LMS were dashed when Steve Carling opening the scoring after 25 minutes to set LMS on their way to a 6-0 victory. The Skipton side lifted the tempo after the break with Carling completing a four-goal performance.

Other goals came from Steve Morphett and Tom Wolstenholme.

Sutton found the gulf in quality between themselves and neighbours Cross Hills more than they could handle. The Cup holders moving kept their hopes of retaining the title alive with a 7-0 win.

Electing to play at Cross Hills was a further handicap for the Division Two side, who went 3-0 behind by half-time to goals by Bernard Boyland, Andy Kaminski and Steven Gott. Nicholas Shaw extended the home side's lead with a fine run and shot, before Steven Holden made it five.

Sam Smith and a second from Kaminski gave Cross Hills their comfortable win, although despite the scoreline, Sutton refused to give up battling.

McBrides, unbeaten leaders of Division Three, were also stepping up a couple of divisions when they visited Cowling, but they posed real problems for the home side before going down 4-2. McBrides went ahead with a goal by Kieran Craggs and held their lead until the break.

Cowling then stirred themselves to get on level terms with a chip over the keeper by Glen McQuillan, but even then McBrides had an answer, Roger Norman finishing off the best piece of football in the game from the visitors.

The reality of their situation then inspired Cowling to raise their game and they levelled with a strike from Martyn Dalby. An own goal gave Cowling the lead for the first time and John McCamon made the game safe with the fourth.

Newcomers Colne Shepherds were able to step up a level when they took on Embsay, the home side progressing thanks to a late winner from Liam Salkeld. Embsay started brightly and after exerting plenty of pressure, they went ahead through William Robertson.

Shepherds levelled five minutes before half-time when a cross from Keiron Higginson deceived everyone. In the second-half, Embsay had the better of the chances, while Shepherds most possession, but two minutes from time Leon Binney and Speak set upthe winner Salkeld.

On league front, Grassington United collected their second point of the season when they earned a 1-1 draw at home to Skipton Town in the Silentnight Premiership.

Grassington started the better of the two sides and after a number of corners went ahead with a goal from full-back Andrew Newton. Even in the second-half the home side had the bulk of the possession, but their failure to add to their total left them vulnerable to a strike by Town.

This eventually came in the shape of a goal by Andrew Hudson.

Division One leaders Bronte Wanderers Reserves had the rub of the green to add to their superior skill in their 5-0 defeat of Lothersdale Athletic, while the tussle between strugglers Bradley and Hellifield ended in a 2-2 draw.

Bradley had the better of the opening exchanges, but failed to find the target and it was Hellifield who snatched the lead when Scott Hardacre scored from close-range after a long throw from Ian Gray. The second-half saw Bradley having most of the possession, the visitors holding on before Richard Robinson put Bradley level.

Robinson then struck again with ten minutes remaining to give Bradley the upper hand, but Chris Lord levelled late on for the visitors and should have scored when he fired over with only the goal-keeper to beat.

The slope of the Oxenhope Recreation Reserves pitch played a crucial part in the home side's 6-2 defeat of Bradley Reserves, with only one of the eight goals being scored up the hill. That distinction fell to Andrew Clements for the home side, who trailed 2-1 at half-time to goals by Robert Crook and Paul Hutchinson.

The second-half brought one-way traffic, with Andrew Hawkins, Christopher Cousins and Steven Buckley (2) giving the home side a comfortable win.

Barrowford United were 3-0 ahead with two goals from Chris Knox and another from Simon Plant in the 89th minute when they conceded a penalty which resulted in a goal from the spot by Andrew Younger and the incident which overshadowed the game.

Silsden Athletic collected a useful point from a 3-3 home draw with Waddington, although they were left to regret letting a 2-0 half-time lead slip through their fingers before the referee decided that conditions were unfit to continue. Dominic Creed and Neil Pepper gave the home side the edge, Waddington fought back and levelled and then Christopher Fowler nudged Silsden ahead again. Mark Harrison (2) and Peter Dugdale collected the goals that enabled Waddington to finish with a share of the points.

Earby are in great shape at the moment and they collected three valuable Division Three points with a 5-1 home win over second-placed Cowling Reserves. Earby took control from the outset and were 2-0 ahead after eight minutes with goals by Paul Jarvis and Jess Parker. A penalty miss by Jarvis brought Cowling to life and they snatched a goal against the run of play through Chris Lyons.

A third from Adrian Daffern made it 3-1 at the break and Earby then continued to dictate affairs in the second-half, goals by Jarvis and Mark O'Neill seeing them safely home.

Third-placed Carleton Reserves appeared to think that Grassington Reserves were there for the taking and duly paid the penalty when they were held to a 2-2 home draw. Two goals by Alan Bradley gave Carleton their reward, with Philip Beck and Brendan Threlfall getting Grassington the share of the points their energy and commitment deserved.

Pendle Athletic were well below their best when they went down 6-2 at home to and Intake Reserves side which produced its best display of the season. Ben Hopper was chief beneficiary with a hat trick, while Keith Wilkinson claimed a brace and James Padmore also got on the sheet.

Bottom club Cononley Reserves continue to struggle a 3-0 defeat at Skipton Town Reserves being their fate last weekend. The visitors should have had more to show for their first-half efforts, but instead were 1-0 behind to a Geoff Simons goal. Town then lifted their game and a second from Simons and another from Adam Simons saw them home.