ALBION Sports picked up a superb three points in their battle against the drop on Saturday, winning 2-1 at mid-table Bottesford Town.

Two sides are slated to go down from the NCEL Premier Division, though a relegation reprieve is possible, given the 12 sides in the drop zone (out of 32) at that Step 5 level with the best points per game total at the end of the season will stay up.

Either way, Albion will want to avoid having to rely on a complicated formula to survive, and they moved out of the bottom two at the weekend.

The Bradford side made a lightning start, and were 2-0 up in no time at all.

Former Campion and Silsden striker Mo Qasim put them ahead after 10 minutes, with another former Cobbydalers star, Matthias Britton, doubling that advantage moments later.

But Bottesford hit back quickly, with Jack Cross netting directly from a corner.

That made the score 2-1 to Albion after only 15 minutes, and though Bottesford had a few decent chances, with Hashlee Cranidge hitting the post and Ryan King hitting a shot just over, they failed to find the net again.

That victory moves Albion back above Hemsworth Miners Welfare, after the latter could only draw 1-1 at AFC Mansfield.

Thackley beat Albion last Tuesday, but they had a shocking Saturday, humbled 8-0 at Handsworth.

The hosts were only seven points ahead of the Dennyboys before kick-off, so it was hard to foresee this drubbing.

New boy Prince Attakorah, in on dual-registration from Ossett United, was on the bench, and he watched his new team-mates concede to Anthony Mackie in just the second minute.

Mitchell Dunne made it 2-0 moments later, before Thackley’s Kris Hargreaves was given a straight red card after he was adjudged to have committed a foul as the last man.

Thackley had plenty of chances in the first half despite being a man down, but they conceded a third after 20 minutes to Leon Howarth.

Dunne and Howarth completed their braces in the second half, with Mackie helping himself to a hat-trick. Kane Reece also netted for Handsworth on a tough afternoon for the Dennyboys.

Second-placed Eccleshill United managed a 0-0 draw at leaders Grimsby Borough in a tight encounter to keep their title hopes alive, while Finn Donovan’s double helped Silsden down bottom side Athersley Recreation 4-2.

Patrick Sykes grabbed a late winner for Campion in the NWCFL First Division North, as their 2-1 home victory over Atherton LR gave them a nice gap to the bottom three.

Steeton are still in a bit of danger, and they were thumped 5-0 at Garstang.

Liversedge impressively hammered third-placed Cleethorpes Town 5-0 in the NPL East Division, but remain a point behind leaders Marske United, while Brighouse Town played well to defeat fellow mid-table side Hebburn Town 3-1.

In National League North, Guiseley are just two points off safety. They lost 3-0 at York City, while rock-bottom Farsley Celtic enjoyed a vital 2-1 win over Kidderminster Harriers.