Skipton LMS' hopes of pegging back Craven and District Premier Division leaders Oxenhope Recreation were dashed when they had to be content with a single point from a 3-3 draw at the Bronteland stronghold, a result which very definitely favours the pace-makers.

Oxenhope have another tasty home test this weekend when Embsay are visitors, but with a healthy cushion entering the closing stages, they now look strong favourites to take the title.

Any hopes LMS had of claiming all three points were soon dampened when the home side took advantage of the slope to open the scoring, a well-struck 25-yard free kick by Steven Murray putting the home side ahead.

LMS, having weathered the early onslaught and started to get their own attacking game together, threatened constantly through the good work of Matt Reeday on the right, but it was a corner from Iain Tyrer which paved the way for the equaliser, Paul Ryder producing a powerful header.

More chances were created by the visitors, but most were spurned before Rob Kaminski was first to react to a loose ball in the penalty area and fire home from close range.

Another free-kick success, this time by Jonathan Broadbent from the edge of the area, then put Oxenhope on level terms and they then snatched a 3-2 interval lead when David Collier converted a penalty award.

With the slope in their favour after the break, LMS had much the better of the game territorially, with Oxenhope forced into a rearguard action.

The visitors drew level when Tyrer was on hand to steer the ball home from close range, but though they pressed hard to the final whistle, LMS could not find a way through and had to be content with a share of the spoils; welcome in terms of an away draw against the leaders, but perhaps not enough in the context of the title race.

Oxenhope, however, have only two of their remaining seven games at home, so they still have some work to do before the title race is decided.

Embsay are seeking to peg back the leaders tomorrow, but may need to raise the tempo of their 3-2 win over Skipton Bulldogs to test the title favourites.

Embsay were first into their stride and forced the visitors onto the back-foot, Stephen Speak, Lee Windle, Dave Greenwood and Liam Salkeld all threatening in an eventful first-half which saw each side losing a player to a red card.

Against the run of play, however, Rob Wooler produced a fine chip to put the visitors ahead after some smart play from Ricky Brewin, but Embsay levelled when Salkeld headed home a Speak cross and took the lead when an infringement of the 'back pass' rule allowed Speak to fire home the free kick.

Both sides pressed forward in the second-half and Bulldogs drew level when Wooler scored with a fine free-kick.

The game was finally won by Speak, who scored from good work by Greenwood, but a fiery finale saw Peter Sumner in the visitors' goal producing some excellent saves before Mark Jolly matched him with a spectacular effort to save the points in the dying minutes.

Keighley Lifts, with games in hand, will not have given up hope of taking advantage of any slips by the leaders and they kept their challenge alive with a 2-0 win at home to Grassington. Lifts lost to the same opposition in the cup the previous week, but clearly learned their lesson and worked much harder to secure the league points.

Despite losing goal-keeper Jason Moore with an injury after only 10 minutes, Lifts had Steve Duff again displaying his versatility by keeping a clean sheet. Lifts took the lead with a penalty from Daniel Moriarty and although Grassington hit the bar and had a couple of shots cleared off the line, they had nothing to show for their best work as Duff handled his duties well.

A second goal from Moriarty on the break in the second-half sealed the win, although the defeat did nothing to eclipse another exceptionally mature display from 16-year-old Brendan Threlfall for the visitors.

Times are hard for Intake, the reaction to a 7-1 reverse at Carleton by one of their players summing up the mood: "I can't wait for this season to end. I've got better things to do on a Saturday afternoon than get hammered every week."

Adrian Daffern's late goal was a modest crumb of comfort for the Lancashire side, who trailed 4-0 after 20 minutes and were never in the game.

Cononley Sports probably had some sympathy for the Intake feeling after going down 8-0 at home to Grindleton. Cononley lost by the odd goal to the same opponents twice earlier in the season, but this time they were 2-0 adrift at half-time to goals from Martin Dobson and Darren Barrow and then collapsed completely as Shaun Lloyd scored four times after the break, Nicholas Lord and Barrow adding to the home side's tale of woe.

In the Premier League Cup, Cross Hills went down 2-1 at home to a Bronte Wanderers side which always had more appetite for the battle.

The visitors also produced more accuracy in front of goal, David Alderson converting two of only four chances, whereas the home side could manage only a solitary goal from Mark Robinson despite creating a number of chances.