Pontefract 1 reasserted control at the top of the Yorkshire Premier League with an emphatic victory at Hallamshire in week seven.
results and table to follow as Yorkshire League site is currently down …
The defending champions slipped to their first defeat of the season last week against a power-packed Doncaster, but normal service was resumed with a 20-1 triumph in Sheffield that extends their lead to 11 points over Dunnington, who have played a game more.
Ben Beachill made his first appearance of the season and crushed Hallamshire’s Jack Cornell, before skipper Matt Godson recovered from dropping the first game to beat Nick Wall Snr, finishing off with a rare ‘bagel’.
Frenchman Laouenan secured the win with a quick win over Hallamshire captain Adam Turner, leaving in-form world no.51 Sam Todd and Scottish international Rory Stewart to finish the job with equally brisk victories.
Doncaster were retrospectively docked six points from last week’s victory over Pontefract 1 after it was confirmed that they fielded four full-time pros in their team — one more than rules permit.
By way of sanction, their victories at no.4 and no.5 in that match, recorded by David Turner and Joel Arscott, were given to Pontefract as 3-0 victories, reducing Doncaster’s victory margin to 14-8.
That outcome was unfortunately compounded this week by an 18-7 home defeat to Queens which now leaves the 2023/24 champions 24 points off the lead in third.
Danny Bray and James Earles posted four-game victories for Queens, while Jordan Hardwick overcame Kiwi Joel Arscott in three.
Abhinav Gupta did get a consolation win at no.4 for Doncaster to maintain his 100% record this season, but the top string clash also went Queens’ way — and in thrilling fashion, with fast-rising Irishman Sam Buckley winning 16/14 in the fifth against world no.45 Nick Wall.
Dunnington replace Doncaster in second place (having played a game more) after coming from two down to win a cracker 17-9 at Ferriby Hall.
Glyn Saunders and Edward Bidder kicked off the evening promisingly for the hosts, but Cai Younger reversed the tide with a five-game cracker against Yusef Forster, then Jamie Brown levelled matters at 2-2 by dispatching Ben Sockett at second string.
It was Dunnington’s Welsh no.1 Owain Taylor who completed the fightback with a four-game victory over Samuel Ince-Carvalhal. The result leaves Ferriby Hall second from bottom, having played a game more than bottom side Pontefract 2, who did not play this week.
Cleethorpes leapfrogged Harrogate into fourth place thanks to their middle order, whose three victories secured a 17-7 home win over the Straysiders.
Harrogate no.5 John Simpson won a gruelling duel 14/12 in the fifth against Charlie Jubbs and, later on, Gabriel Cox superbly beat Wales international Elliott Morris Devred in four at top string, but Cleethorpes’ Harry Falconer and Louie Trueman won in three and Pete Dickinson in four to earn a third win of the season for the Lincolnshire side.
