Radcliffe march on as play-off chasers show their steel

Anthony Dudley scored twice as they won 5-1 at Bamber Bridge, who suffered a heavy home defeat for the second week running.

Danny Forbes pulled a goal back for Brig early in the second half, but goals from Jude Oyibo, Matt Sargent and Ewan Bange sent Radcliffe to victory number 20 from 25 games in the league.

Nearest challengers Warrington Rylands threw away a two goal lead to draw 2-2 at lowly Basford United.

They seemed well on course to a successful away day courtesy of Mo Touray’s penalty and Joe Adams’ 67th minute strike.

But two goals in five minutes from Mason Frizelle and Prince Mancinelli earned Basford a potentially crucial point as they look to move away from the relegation places.

Rylands’ slip-up mean they now have two clubs breathing down their necks for second place, as both Marine and Hyde United moved within two points.

Hyde thumped Morpeth 5-1 thanks to a Matthew Fearnley hat-trick, while Marine came from behind late to defeat fellow play-off rivals Worksop Town 2-1.

Finlay Sinclair-Smith equalised Regan Hutchinson’s early opener on 84 minutes, before Matty Waters’ injury time strike won it for Marine. Worksop remain fifth, four points behind Marine and Hyde albeit with a game in hand.

Macclesfield moved level on points with Worksop with a 2-1 win at Guiseley, which saw them leapfrog their opponents in the table.

Kane Drummond’s strike eight minutes from time secured the win, after Luke Mariette had cancelled out Alex Curran’s first half goal.

Ashton United remain in touching distance of the play-off places after winning by the odd goal in seven against Atherton Collieries.

Dylan Moonan gave Colls the lead on the half hour mark, but they trailed 2-1 at the break thanks to Sean Newton and Luke Burke.

Two goals in the first eight minutes of the second half from Nathan Lowe and James Hardy put the Robins in control, though Colls scored two late goals to add respectability to the scoreline, despite a red card for defender Teddy Mfuni.

Basement boys Bradford Park Avenue squandered a golden opportunity to lift themselves off the bottom as they surrendered a two goal lead at home to Lancaster City.

They looked on course for only a fourth win of the season when Justin Iwobi’s 48th minute goal doubled the lead Jordan Preston had fired them in to in the first half.

But the Dolly Blues hit back, first through Nic Evangelinos and then Samuel Bailey’s penalty on 79 minutes levelled things up. Dominic Lawson’s 90th minute winner meant Lancaster went home with the points.

Elsewhere, Matlock Town shrugged off the departure of the league’s top goalscorer Jonathon Margetts with a 3-0 win over FC United in front of a crowd of 1,349.

In the absence of their talisman, the goals were scored by Joseph West, John Johnston and Scott Boden.

Thomas Cursons’ brace for Ilkeston Town earned them a 2-0 win at Stafford Rangers, while Workington and Whitby Town battled out the only goalless draw of the day in Cumbria.

Results - Saturday 27 January

Ashton United 4-3 Atherton Collieries
Bamber Bridge 1-5 Radcliffe
Basford United 2-2 Warrington Rylands
Bradford Park Avenue 2-3 Lancaster City
Guiseley 1-2 Macclesfield
Marine 2-1 Worksop Town
Matlock Town 3-0 FC United of Manchester
Morpeth Town 1-5 Hyde United
Stafford Rangers 0-2 Ilkeston Town
Workington AFC 0-0 Whitby Town

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