THINGS ARE hotting up at the top of the Craven League Premier Division as the season nears its conclusion, with Grassington United making a late charge for the title.

Though still seven points behind table-toppers Trawden Celtic Juniors, Grassington have two games in hand on the sides around them, while their 7-3 win at Carleton Sports on Saturday also moved them top of the division’s scoring charts.

Doubles from Josh Green and Kyun Ellison contributed half of the visitors’ total, with James Mukherjee and Danny Pow also coming off the bench to score on a fantastic afternoon for the North Yorkshire side.

At the other end of the table, Bingley Town’s miserable season continued with a 2-0 defeat at Cowling, a result that sees the visitors continue their steady climb up the table to fourth.

Silsden Whitestar Reserves were the big scorers in Division 1, the Cobbydalers returning from Lancashire with the three points after a 6-0 thrashing of iPlay Barrowford.

Kaylum Moran Payne and Lewis Oldridge continued their remarkable scoring runs as Champions AFC Crossleys maintained their 100% record with a 4-1 win at Chatburn, but it was disappointment for third-placed Baildon Trinity Athletic, who slipped to a 4-2 defeat at home to Salts 3rds.

Elsewhere, goals from Mark Dobson, David Whitfield, and Aaron Woodhouse helped Ingleton claim a 3-1 win at home to Addingham, with the hosts now joining both Salts and Whitestar on 25 points in the race for promotion to the top flight.

With the games between Crosshills Reserves and Padiham FC Juniors and Grindleton and Cowling Reserves cancelled, the only match in Division 2 saw Barnoldswick Barons Senior Open Age put in a dominant performance to beat Sutton 4-1.

Barlick put in most of the leg work to lead 3-0 at half time, with Dan Hughes’ brace and strikes from Owen Pearson and Ben Speak securing the points.

There were goals galore in the division’s cup competition, with Hellifield Sports beating Barlick Wanderers for the first time this season in emphatic fashion to set up a semi-final tie against Cowling Reserves at Summerhill Lane.

Seven goals brought seven different scorers for the hosts, with the ever-reliable Jacob Wroe adding to his season tally as well as picking up the man of the match.

In Division 3, Addingham Reserves’ captain Mark Robinson was delighted with his side’s 7-2 win at home to Carleton Sports Club Reserves, almost two months on from their last league match.

It didn’t take long for the hosts to blow off the cobwebs though, Kyle Moulson finding the back of the net four times, alongside further goals from Andrew Brightman, Steven Pretorious, and substitute Jonathan Dow to seal an impressive three points.

Elsewhere, Sutton Reserves and Cononley Sports Club 2nds played out a rare goalless draw, with a point apiece not particularly helpful for either side.

Away from the league, in the division’s cup competition it was first versus third as AFC Crossleys Reserves and FC Keighley United Open Age battled it out in Halifax for a place in the semi-finals.

Despite a red card for goalscorer Jack Atkinson, the 4-0 scoreline comfortably went the way of the hosts, with just Sutton Reserves now standing between Crossleys and the final.

There were also two matches in the Northern Plant Hire Trophy, where not everything went the way of the form book.

Sam Harrison's double helped Division 3 promotion-chasers Rolls Reserves pull off a giant-killing to beat Premier Division Cononley Sports Club 4-3, but Settle United Reserves could not do the same, their narrow half-time lead at Bradley overturned by late goals from Ben Ramsden and Tom Rooke.