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Rangers poised to topple Crown

29/ 1/2003

CROWN have been top of the Middleton Sunday League's Invincible Double Glazing Premier Division since 24 November.

But they are becoming increasingly nervous as Langley Rangers close in on them.

Crown met Old David who are fighting for their Premier lives and had lost only one of their last five games. The match went to form, and Old David won 3-1. Stevenson gave Crown some consolation as he replied to strikes from Tierney, McDonald and Spencer.

Rangers hammered Pleasant Inn 6-1 to maintain their pursuit of the title. They are now only three points behind Crown, having played four games fewer. Rangers' goals came from Matthews (2), Murray (2), Morris and Godson.

Third-placed Alliance kept up their challenge for honours by beating Oddfellows 4-1 in an away match. Goals from Duffy, Hampson, Russbrock, and Blackshaw made it seven wins on the trot for Alliance, four of them away from home. Brown claimed the consolation for Oddfellows who have taken only eight points from the last 16 on offer.

A hat-trick from Wilkinson helped Langley Albion to get their act together again. They were 4-2 away winners over Harbord Harbord ,who have not won for 11 games. Hughes was the other scorer for Albion.

Carters Arms, who had not won at home for four games, met Cardinal Villa, who had not won in five. A draw looked the most likely outcome, and a draw it was, as six goals were shared. Craney, Sutherland and Hockenhall scored for Villa.

St Clares failed to come out of a bad run. They were trounced 6-0 by Radclyffe Arms who had Humphries, Crowther, and Giblin on target.

Only two games were played in Division One. Gardeners Arms beat Hare and Hounds 3-0, while Royal Oak and Hares shared the spoils. O'Keefe hit the goal that kept Oak in the title hunt.

Invincible Double Glazing Premier Division: Carters Arms 3, Cardinal Villa 3; Harbord Harbord 2, Langley Albion 4; Langley Rangers 6, Pleasant Inn 1; Oddfellows 1, Alliance 4; Old David 3, Crown 1; Radclyffe Arms 6, St Clares 0.

Division One: Hare and Hounds 0, Gardeners Arms 3; Royal Oak 1, Hares 1.