SCHOLES have moved fired up the title chase in Division II after a 3-1 home win over Honley – which maintained their 100% home record.
Division Two leaders Heyside were without a game and Scholes are now joint top after a win in which they took the lead with a long range shot from Tom Brook in the 39th minute.
Ten minutes into the second half Louis Sykes latched onto a cross from Jordan Saville to increase the home side’s advantage.
Saville, making his first team debut, made it 3-0 as he ran on to a through ball and slotted it past the Honley keeper and earned himself the Scholes man of the match in the process.
Lee scored a consolation for already relegated Honley.
Scholes and Heyside are now level on 38 points, but Scholes have four games in hand.
The permutations for this division are still many, but with Cumberworth and Kirkheaton sharing the points in a 3-3 draw, Scholes’s opposition is gradually fading away.
Cumberworth have now drawn four of their last six games, while Kirkheaton have only won two of their last five.
Heyside have only two to play so their chances rely on others dropping points while another contender.
Royal Dolphins were involved in an abandoned game – the outcome of which will be determined at the league meeting later this month.
The title and promotion probably rests between the clubs with games in hand – Scholes, Royal Dolphins and Kirkheaton.
Last year Scholes, who had been in the top two for almost the whole of the season, lost to Holmbridge in the last match of the season and missed out on promotion as a result.
It would be fitting if they could gain compensation this time around as the club are celebrating their 30th season since they reformed in 1981.
The present coach, Neil Bellas, was instrumental in the club reforming along with Cavan Lawlor and two current players, David Oldroyd and Paul Dyson have played for the club in all of the 30 seasons since the 1981 reformation.
Another two club stalwarts who were at the club in 1981 are current president Neil Pickles and secretary David Buckley, but all the “old hands” are optimistic about the future of the club as several young players have been given their chances.
Paul Dyson’s brother Keith Dyson was secretary at the club for many seasons and to mark his death last year, the club are creating a new trophy.
In Division I, leaders Hepworth United lost a league game for the first time this season when they went down 2-1 at Newsome. The damage was only to their pride though as their only serious challengers Netherton also suffered a defeat 3-2 at the hands of Diggle.
At the bottom, Holmbridge and Slaithwaite lost but again both tasted defeat by the odd goal.
In Division III, things could not have gone better for Dalton Crusaders.
They saw off Grange Moor in a high scoring 6-4 win, but the result involving the second and third placed sides must have been music to their ears.
AFC Waterloo have suffered with an exodus of a few players in recent months and with them picking up only one point from their matches against KKS Sun Inn and Wooldale, their promotion chances seemed to be drifting away, but last week they defeated Holmfirth Town 3-2 despite Holmfirth Town going into the game as favourites after a run of five successive League wins.
The outcome of these games means that Dalton Crusaders now need only two points to guarantee promotion to Division IIfrom their last three games – should they gain four points the divisional title is also theirs.
The League Cup semi-finals are next week. They start with the Barlow Cup on Easter Monday when Kirkheaton Rovers take on Netherton at Lepton Highlanders ground (10.30). The second semi is at Barr Street when Shepley face Diggle (2.30).
On Tuesday the Gee Cup semi-finals take place with Meltham Ath A v Royal Dolphins Res at Yorkshire Lions ground at Warrenside and Berry Brow A v Holmbridge Res at Hade Edge.
On Thursday there is one Groom semi-final and one Richardson with Kirkheaton Res v Meltham Res at Grange Moor and Upperthong v Linthwaite at Golcar (6.00).
