FIRST impressions are that Idle can cope in the Premier Division of the Spen Valley League after being promoted.

They started their 2015-16 season with a 7-2 home victory over newcomers Hartshead, Tom Simonet (3), Ryan Mitchell (2) and Aaron Irving (2) netting, with James Leeming bagging a brace in reply.

Fellow promoted side Athletico also won by a five-goal margin – this time without response at Girlington.

Shamaz Hussain (2), Mahine Malik, Brandon Dexter and Abraham Okhiri were their marksmen, while there were also four draws in the remaining eight matches in the league.

Two came in the Premier Division, with Division One winners Palestino having a 2-2 scoreline at Whitburn and new boys White Abbey Road sharing ten goals at home to second tier runners-up Hightown Jets.

Sohail Mahmood and Luke Sharpe were on target for Whitburn, Zubair Khan (2) replying, while Dean Comins (2), Kyle Kershaw, James Mortimor and Brad Balmforth were the scorers for Jets.

No-one did better, however, than Faisal Adam, who netted five of Saville United's six goals in their home romp over Vision, James Bower and Richard Murgatroyd bagging the consolations.

A more sedate match was that between Salthorn and Saville Youth, the visitors winning 2-1 via Abdullah Aswat and Rakeeb Rehman, Sam Tidswell getting the Salthorn strike.

Stalemates in Division One were between Inter Batley and Smokin Aces (2-2) and Dewsbury West Side and Mount Pleasant (3-3) – but Drummond went down 7-3 at Norfolk, despite goals from Mohammad Quaid (2) and Hassan Khan.