Burley Trojans 3, Northallerton Town 0

TROJANS turned in a competent performance to brush aside a youthful Northallerton side and keep their title challenge on course.

With Ilkley failing to win at Tockwith, the Burley side have now opened up a four point gap at the top of the table but their local rivals still have two games in hand.

It had looked as if Trojans could be in for a frustrating afternoon with the opposition failing to arrive until well after the scheduled kick-off time and the game finally got under way 45 minutes late.

Trojans were clearly unsettled by the delay and found themselves all at sea in the opening minutes as Northallerton aimed to make up for lost time. Firstly David Burton set up winger Benjamin Barr, who was only denied by a last ditch tackle from skipper Nick Quaife and then Lee Shardha was unlucky to see his audacious 40 yard lob just clear Chris Hargreaves' crossbar.

Trojans soon steadied the ship and took a seventh minute lead through top scorer Gareth Goodison. Fellow striker Chris Connolly set up Goodison and his first effort was bravely blocked by stand-in 'keeper Tim Burns. The rebound fell to Connolly and his far post cross picked out Goodison, who bundled the ball in.

Man-of-the-Match Quaife was prompting most of Trojans' best moments from midfield and from his slide rule pass Dave McKain saw his shot beaten away by Burn. Jonny Lofthouse was unlucky when his powerful shot rebounded off defender Jonathan Craven and in to player-manager Burn's arms.

Then, on the half-hour mark, Goodison delayed when Lofthouse played him in and the ball was cleared to safety.

From the resulting Lofthouse corner centre-half Stuart Dibb rose to power a header goalwards. The ball struck right-back Aaron Crawford as it entered the net but there is no doubt that Dibb will be claiming the goal as his fifth of the season.

Ian McKain got in an excellent challenge to deny the impressive Daniel Cardie and then Craven was left unmarked at a Cardie corner but could only direct his header wide.

Hargreaves had to be alert to foil Sharda with a brave challenge and then Robert Titterington shot wide as the visitors refused to buckle in an all-action first-half.

The half ended with Trojans in the ascendancy with 'keeper Burn being fortunate to escape when he picked up the ball, by his own admission, fully five yards outside his box and then Trojans' centre-half Kieren Hanogue, on a rare foray upfield, was off target with a 25 yard drive.

By comparison the second-half was an anti-climax with neither team living up to the standards reached in the first period.

Hargreaves made a fine sprawling save to prevent Burton from getting his side back into the game before Quaife effectively settled their fate ten minutes into the second-half.

Chris Lockwood's measured free-kick found Connolly, who leapt athletically to flick the ball into the path of Quaife, who didn't have to break his stride as he volleyed into the bottom corner.

Dibb continued to prove a threat at set pieces, twice heading over, and in reply Shardha forced Hargreaves into two good saves as the Trojans' defence managed their ninth clean sheet of the season.

Manager Chris Worts made a triple substitution, introducing Stuart Copley, Phil Constantine and Chris Lloyd into the action and Constantine set up a couple of chances for Connolly, whose finishing did not match his support play.

Lloyd looked lively on the right flank, pushing forward at every opportunity and Copley turned excellently before just over-hitting his through pass to Goodison.

The Northallerton side, without any substitutes to call upon, battled to the end and Barr almost grabbed a consolation when his goalbound effort was cleared to safety by Hanogue.

Trojans now have just four league fixtures remaining and must realistically aim to record a maximum return if they are to stay in with a chance of lifting the title.

Trojans are without a game this weekend but their Reserves entertain Spa Athletic Reserves in a re-arranged fixture, kick-off 2.30pm. It is the Reserves' last game of the season and players should meet at the Cricket Club at 1.45pm.

PREMIER DIVISION

(Inc March 1st)

P W D L F A Pts

Burley Trojans 22 13 5 4 58 25 44

Ilkley 20 12 4 4 63 32 40

Kirkby Malzeard 20 11 4 5 52 34 37

Boro'bridge Res 20 11 2 7 59 33 35

Otley Town Res 21 10 3 8 61 53 33

Tockwith 18 9 3 6 46 31 30

Pannal Sports 15 9 3 3 45 32 30

Northallerton T 17 6 3 8 33 43 21

Beckwithshaw 18 6 3 9 24 34 21

Bramhope 19 5 4 10 34 48 10

Harold Styans 21 5 3 13 33 68 18

Spa Athletic 20 4 5 11 38 57 57

Bedale Town 20 2 2 16 18 67 8