Rewarded for winning the right way

Leek Town might have slipped to a shock first defeat of the season on Saturday but the league leaders were all smiles before kick off when they collected October’s First Division South Fair Play Award.

Apart from the 1-0 reverse to Rainworth Miners Welfare at the weekend, Lee Casswell’s Blues have been flying in the league all season and are still five points clear at the top of the table. According to last month’s fair play statistics, they’ve been going about their business in the right way too, collecting just two yellow cards in four games to emerge with the division's best disciplinary average of 0.50 points.

League Representative John Beaumont is pictured at Harrison Park presenting Blues skipper Sam Hall, assistant manager Peter Ward and Chairman Andy Wain with an inscribed certificate marking the achievement and two bottles of wine to celebrate the win which lifts the club to third spot in the season's overall fair play rankings.

Matlock Town were named as October’s top flight fair play champs last week along with Ossett Town who took the First Division North’s laurels. The NPL’s Respect Manager Phil Bradley presented Matlock Town with their accolade before the 1-1 draw with AFC Flyde at Causeway Lane on Saturday. Bradley is heading to Ossett this Saturday to present them with their award before they host Radcliffe Borough.

Like the Blues, October's other winners topped their respective divisional fair play tables based on Evo-Stik NPL fixtures played divided by points for yellow and red cards. Matlock came out on top after collecting four yellow cards in six league outings to post a disciplinary average of 0.67 points. In four outings, Ossett collected just one yellow card to come out with a disciplinary average of just 0.25, the lowest across all three divisions of the Evo-Stik NPL.

In the overall rankings, Skelmersdale United lead the Premier Division table with Matlock now sixth. In First Division North, Ossett Town's win sees them hold on to top spot while Brigg head the First Division South table.

To view the latest Fair Play Tables click on the 'League Info' button on the home page and then the 'Inventory' button in the downloads section.