ECCLESHILL United came off second best when they renewed rivalries with Knaresborough Town as the North Yorkshire outfit took all three points from their first meeting in the Northern Counties East Premier Division.

The clubs were involved in a race for the Division One title last season and Town won it, the Eagles joining them in the top tier via the play-offs.

Knaresborough have started well in the higher division and consolidated their fourth place with a 3-0 win at the Mitton Group Stadium.

They snatched the lead with almost the last kick of the first half, as Sam Cook converted a corner just into stoppage time.

It had been a close first half but the visitors grabbed a second just seven minutes into the second period. It was a poor one to concede as Brad Walker was allowed space to slot Dan Thirkell’s cross past home keeper Jack Bentley.

Knaresborough added their third in the 87th minute when substitute Luke Stewart squared the ball through the six yard box and Rob Youhill steered it in.

Eagles’ boss Sean Regan was disappointed but accepted that his side were beaten by the better side on the day.

He said: “I thought we played some good stuff in the first half but with the system we were playing it was crying out for Antony Brown and we haven’t got him anymore.

“He has had to pack in due to work commitments and when I got that call on Thursday it was a massive blow. He would have made a difference in this game and the first goal was always going to be important and they got it at a crucial time.

“Knaresborough were the better side in that second half and our lads didn’t go right to the end, which wasn’t like us. We always go the full 90 minutes but we looked a beaten side in that last ten minutes when it was only 2-0.”

In the same division, Albion Sports lost 1-0 at Staveley MW, who had hosted Guiseley in the FA Cup the previous Saturday.

The Trojans lost that cup tie 4-0 but they took the three points from Albion’s visit with a single goal after the visitors had been reduced to ten men. Mo Kaba was sent off early in the second half for a second yellow card offence.

Staveley far from dominated against the ten men but won it with a solitary goal through Jahmal Riley in the 57th minute.

Thackley’s six-match unbeaten run came to an end as they lost 3-1 at home to Garforth Town. The visitors went into the break 2-0 up after Mark Simpson broke the deadlock and former Guiseley Academy striker Devonte Morton added a second.

The Dennyboys’ Jordan Hines halved the deficit but, having opened the scoring, Simpson wrapped it up as he bagged his brace four minutes into stoppage time.

Liversedge’s misery continued as they suffered a 4-2 home defeat to third-placed Maltby Main despite a second half fightback.

Main led 2-0 at the break after a brace from Ross Duggan and he claimed his hat-trick with the first goal of the second half. Sedge chipped away and goals from Joe Walton and Tom Jackson saw them just 3-2 down but a Steve Hopewell strike calmed Main’s nerves.

In Division One, Campion’s 2-2 home draw against mid-table Armthorpe Welfare cost them third spot as they tumbled two places.

Graham Hall had given the home side a 15th-minute lead but Leon Larcombe-Loftus hit the Welfare’s equaliser. The visitors edged in front in the first half, Jordan Buckham on target, but Omar Habeeb grabbed Campion’s 80th-minute leveller.