Key Eccleshill United draw as Bradford rivals Campion suffer

The only sides below the Eagles heading into the weekend were Goole and rock-bottom Maltby Main, with those two facing off on Saturday.

And it was Maltby who came out on top, with an emphatic 4-0 away win sending Goole to the foot of the table on goal difference.

Only the side who finish bottom this season will go down and it could not be much tighter down there, with Goole and Maltby on 21 points as it stands, and Eccleshill sat on 22.

Pickering and Bottesford Town were both seven points ahead of the Eagles before kick-off on Saturday.

That gap is now down to six between Bottesford and Eccleshill, after Town lost 3-1 against Golcar United, but Pickering looked like they would be streaking clear of danger when Omar Sanyang and Nathan Dyer put them 2-0 up inside 25 minutes on Saturday.

Crucially for Eccleshill, Talent Ndlovu halved the deficit on the stroke of half-time, before Jordan Kong’s equalised 10 minutes after the break

Connor Avison was sent off late on for Pickering, and in a frantic finale, Eccleshill missed a golden chance to win the game on 88 minutes, before the hosts had a last-gasp goal controversially disallowed for offside.

Elsewhere, Penistone Church are fast becoming the mortal enemy of our promotion-chasing Bradford sides.

The South Yorkshire outfit destroyed then third-placed Thackley 5-1 earlier this month, and now they have surely killed off Campion’s title chances by thrashing them 5-2 on Saturday.

Nathan Cartman opened the scoring for the visiting Bradfordians after four minutes on Saturday, only for a Nathan Keightley double to put Penistone in front.

Michael O’Brien equalised just before the interval, but two more goals for Keightley after the break, added to a Josh Brown goal for the hosts, ensured Campion lost heavily.

They now sit six points behind leaders Emley, who occupy the sole automatic promotion spot, having also played two games more than their Huddersfield District rivals.

Thackley and Albion Sports are currently fifth and sixth respectively, their play-off fight on hold after neither were in action over the weekend.

Silsden’s play-off hopes look over after their 2-1 home defeat to third-placed Garforth Town, which saw Arley Barnes net a late consolation for the hosts.

It was a much happier afternoon for neighbours Steeton over in the North West Counties Football League First Division North, as goals from Josh McKiernon and Ethan Hudson-Parker earned them a 2-0 away victory at South Liverpool.

Steeton boss Roy Mason (right) and first-team coach Stewart Airdrie oversaw a win that was a long time coming for the Chevrons on Saturday. (Image: Ian Meachin.)

The Chevrons’ first competitive win since October has moved them seven points clear of the relegation zone.

At the other end of the table, Bradford side Route One remain second, Anees Younis scoring twice in their 4-2 home win over Ashton Athletic, with the visitors having a man sin-binned early in the second half after they had a goal controversially chalked off.

In the Northern Premier League East Division, mid-table Liversedge enjoyed an impressive 2-1 victory at home to promotion-chasing Dunston after centre-half Kurt Harris netted a last-gasp winner.

But Brighouse Town dropped to 16th in the table after losing 2-1 at a Newton Aycliffe side that sit a just outside of the play-offs.

In the NPL Premier Division, Guiseley thrashed visiting Morpeth Town 4-1 to remain a point off the play-off places, while Farsley Celtic slipped to 15th in National League North after losing 2-1 at home to high-flying Chester.

The key moment came with 20 minutes to go with the scores level at 1-1.

Farsley’s Tom Allan was sent off for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity in the box, and Chester gleefully netted their winner from the subsequent penalty.