BR Ladies Seconds 3

Bradford Seconds 0

The title race in the North League (East Division) gets tighter every week as Ben Rhydding and Rotherham Ladies compete for the single promotion spot.

Bradford conceded Saturday's match to their Yorkshire rivals, being unable to raise a team for the fixture. The default 3-0 win for the Ilkley side puts them in second place on goals scored, as Rotherham's 3-0 triumph over University of Newcastle sees the top two teams remain equal on goal difference.

With just seven league games remaining, Ben Rhydding must maintain their winning form to keep pressure on their South Yorkshire rivals.

Saturday's visit to bottom placed Driffield must not be taken for granted, and the Ilkley squad will be hoping for a convincing victory in their quest for promotion.

Men's Fourths 2

WY Police 0

In sub zero temperatures, Ben Rhydding fourths travelled to South Leeds to play against one of the relegation favourites.

The pitch was checked thoroughly by the umpires and captains for frost but the match was allowed to begin and the even spread of reflective flakes on the ground was found only to be glass.

The match, although as physical as expected, was played in good spirits, with the young Oliver Hall taking on his father the Chief Constable.

Rhydding started the quicker, and began creating their usual barrage of chances without managing to score.

Mid-way through the half Rhydding were awarded a short corner.

With the absence of Hansell, the short corner specialist, Pickard ran proceedings, and from the initial deflected shot, the ball fell to McMillan who smashed the ball into the back of the net.

Rhydding kept pressing and chances fell to Franks and Matthew Timperley, while at the back the make -shift Rhydding defence of Bradwell, Jerram and Miles and Steven Timperley were solid.

The first-half ended and the greatest concern for Rhydding's Captain Funnell, was the frostbite he was suffering through lack of action in goal.

The second-half went much the same as the first, with the front six of Rhydding led by Man-of-the-Match Dawson, running rings round the opposition.

Plenty of chances were created by the visitors only to lack the finish. The game looked won when a fluent passing move involving almost all the Rhydding team and a cross from Dawson on the left, found an unmarked Franks only three yards out, the game looked won. The finish was that of Johnny Wilkinson in the dying seconds of the World Cup Final, and the ball soared over the bar.

Finally, with less than ten minutes left on the clock Pickard, won another short corner and orchestrated an unrehearsed training ground move, which found an unmarked McMillan in the centre of the D, who dragged the ball into the corner of the goal.

The home team, if not already beaten had their hopes finally dashed when within seconds of the re-start, were reduced to ten men for dissent.

The matched finished at 2-0 to the visitors, and Captain Funnell's pulse was checked as he had not had to move for 70 minutes.

Men's Sixths 2

Normanby Park 0

The sixth team recorded their first win of 2005 with an emphatic victory over Normanby Park last Saturday.

The team started the game with confidence. Not least because of reinforcements in the form of Lowe, Hatton and Hornby - the latter two providing a brooding presence for much of the game in Normanby Park's D.

The sixths quickly put Normanby Park on the defence. However, perhaps frustrated by being unable to convert goal scoring opportunities,

Normanby Park were eventually allowed to establish themselves, although, given Ben Rhydding's solid defence line up, it was never clear how they were going to score.

The tempo picked up again after the break and increasing Rhydding pressure resulted in a succession of short corners for the team.

Eventually, Hatton secured the goal he deserved with typical firm hitting from one of these corners.

The game became very physical at this point when it became clear that Normanby were not going to win, let alone score.

Mid-way through the second-half, Hall was pole-axed while on a typical charge forward and took no further part in the game.

Increasing pressure from Ben Rhydding midfield, in particular Hart and Wilson, who both had excellent games, was too much for Normanby Park to absorb, but it was Laycock, with a precision shot from just inside the D that gave Rhydding their final, and well-deserved goal.

This game was symptomatic of the sixths' intention to make a charge up the league in the second-half of the season.

With this sort of performance, it will be hard to stop them.