An Aron Heywood hat-trick fired ALBION SPORTS to the summit of Baris Northern Counties East League Division One as he bagged all the goals in a 3-1 win at struggling Askern Villa.

Kulwinder Sandhu’s men had been perched ready to grasp their opportunity but have suffered from postponements in recent weeks.

They finally made it to the top but on goal difference only as second-placed Pontefract Collieries also won.

Heywood netted twice in as many minutes midway through the first half but second-bottom Askern pulled one back through Tom McLaughlin before the interval.

With 14 minutes remaining and the visitors in control, Heywood pounced for his third.

Sandhu said: “It was a comfortable win from an average game.

“Askern played reasonably well. I don’t know why they are so low in the table because they were all right going forward but I think we deserved the win.”

Albion have a game in hand over former Leeds United captain Brendan Ormsby’s Pontefract so their leading challengers are now Glasshoughton Welfare, who climbed to third following a 1-0 win at Eccleshill UNITED.

The Eagles seemed to be in the driving seat and would have overhauled their promotion rivals with a home win.

But their hearts were broken when Nathan Dixon netted the game’s only goal with a little over three minutes remaining.

Eccleshill dropped to seventh place as a result but Welfare are now one point adrift of Albion and have two games in hand.