Ben Rhydding Ladies retain their lead in Premier League

Ben Rhydding Ladies retained their lead in the Northern Premier League with a hard-fought win over bottom placed Wigan on Saturday.

Despite their lowly league placing, Wigan proved to be stern opposition, and could easily have got themselves some points had they been able to convert possession into goals.

Ben Rhydding started well and were soon on the scoresheet, as Sarah Male capitalised on some fine build-up play to slot the ball home on the reverse stick.

In a hectic first-half the Yorkshire side demonstrated some of the flowing hockey which has earned them their top league spot but failed to sustain the momentum and at times allowed Wigan far too much possession.

However, Wigan's attacking drives were ably dealt with by the Yorkshire defence of Jackie Barrett, Ismay Macdonald, Leanne Brook and Rachel Smith, and young Vicky Prigg in goal made a series of fine saves to record her second clean sheet in successive weeks.

Meanwhile the creative attacking moves from the Ilkley side continued to pay off, as first Rachel Doherty and then Melissa Reynard latched onto some excellent crosses to give their side a comfortable half-time lead.

Wigan refused to capitulate, however, and the second-half belonged to them despite the scoreline, as some sustained attacking play saw them at times camped in the Ben Rhydding half.

Once again it was the skilful Doherty who put the game beyond reach with a fine solo effort, beating a couple of hapless Wigan defenders before rounding the 'keeper to slot the ball home from a tight angle.

A satisfying win for Ben Rhydding, who have now recorded two victories without reply, without quite hitting their pre-Christmas form.

l Saturday sees them face Blackburn at Leeds University, and the Ilkley side will be hoping to avenge their only league defeat of the season in this return fixture.

Ben Rhydding 4, Brooklands 1

BEN Rhydding's high riding men's team enjoyed another virtuoso scoring performance from Australian Dan Kelly.

The prolific scorer netted a hat-trick in this win over Brooklands.

The other goal was netted by Andrew Parkes.

Ben Rhydding lls 1, Lincoln 4

Ben Rhydding men's second team travelled to league leaders Lincoln and despite the eventual score put up stern resistance after Birkinshaw was rendered a virtual spectator from the first minute with a back injury.

With no substitute it was left to the remaining ten players to try and hold Lincoln's first XI. In fact it was the Ilkley side who took the lead when Jon Horsman, still recovering from a viral illness, made a sublime run through the middle.

He off loaded to the selfless Zillessen who returned the pass for Horsman to walk the ball into the goal.

The goal stunned Lincoln who put Rhydding under intense pressure. Zillessen, forced to play at left-back by Birkinshaws injury, grew in confidence there and Neil Horsman, imperious at sweeper, marshalled his defence suberbly. So much so that Lincoln had to rely on set pieces to threaten the Rhydding goal.

They managed to convert two short corners to take a 2-1 lead at half-time.

They must have expected a rout after half-time but the Ilkley side took the game to them and were unlucky not to equalise with Hatfield in particular playing like a man possessed.

In defence, 'keeper Pratt made some excellent saves. Mulligan, also playing in an unusual right-back position for him, made some telling tackles and Bevington was solid making one extraordinary tackle on his own goal line.

A score of 2-1 would probably have been a fair result but Rhydding were unlucky to concede two goals in the last three minutes, one a breakaway.

The other was a penalty flick given against the tireless Cussons for a stick tackle against his old mate Marawaha, an ex-Ben Rhydding player.

The men's third team beat Rotherham 8-0 with goals from D Sutherland (4), C Borrett (2), R Baker and S Panteli.

The fourth team went down 4-0 to Huddersfield while the fifth team enjoyed a 3-0 win over Huddersfield with goals from J Hornby (2) and A Woodhead.

The sixths beat Huddersfield 2-1 with goals from F Priestley and S Timperley.

Badgers 1, Rotherham 5

A draw was probably a fair result in this hard-fought tussle in which the play swung from end to end. The Badgers dominated the opening exchanges with their customary neat passing game and Matthew Timperley was just not quite able to convert two chances created by his midfield colleagues.

Kieren Borrett again combined boundless energy with some exquisite skills but the Rotherham defence held firm and it needed a series of athletic saves from Badgers' 'keeper Jonathan Williams to keep the match scoreless at half-time.

Rotherham came out all guns blazing and it was against the run of play when an astute pass from skipper Birdsall allowed Grummitt a simple tap in goal.

Chances came and went at both ends until Rotherham managed finally to capitalise on some careless defending to equalise.