Saturday's Premier Division action review

North Ferriby United maintained their six-point lead at the top of the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League's Premier Division table on Easter Saturday, writes Pitchhero's Steve Whitney.

Ferriby entertained rock-bottom Eastwood Town and showed little mercy on the seemingly doomed Badgers, hammering them 6-1. Gary Bradshaw on eight and 13 minutes, Liam King on 33 and 42, and Ryan Kendall in the 45th and 77th minutes all helped themselves to braces, with Bradley Munn's 68th minute penalty all the visitors could respond with.

Hednesford Town also won, beating Buxton 3-2 at home, to ensure no let-up in an exciting run-in to the end of the season. The Pitmen had a much tougher test at Keys Park against a Bucks side still with outside play-off hopes. But they have all but gone now after their narrow defeat in which Alex Taylor gave the home side an early seventh minute lead that Neil Harvey doubled on 54 minutes.

Michael Towey reduced the deficit three minutes later, only for Harvey to grab his second and Hednesford's third with 14 minutes to go. Mark Reed pulled a second back for the Bucks, but it was too late to affect the outcome.

Witton Albion are third after a 3-1 Wincham Park win over Stafford Rangers. It was the visitors who drew first blood on nine minutes through Michael Carr but that lead lasted barely seven minutes as Josh Hancock levelled from the penalty spot. And then two goals just after the hour-mark from Shaun Tuck and Danny Andrews won it for Albion.

Witton moved above Rushall Olympic, whose play-off hopes took a jolt in a 2-1 defeat at The Meres against relegation-threatened Grantham Town. Adrian Hawes gave the Gingerbreads the lead right on half-time and they doubled that 16 minutes from time through Gregg Smith, with the Pics reply coming courtesy of a Hawes own goal deep into stoppage time.

FC United of Manchester moved to within a point of Rushall and Witton in fifth after demolishing second-bottom Kendal Town 5-1 at Parkside. Michael Norton gave the visitors an eighth minute lead that Jerome Wright added to with a quickfire brace in the 16th and 19th minutes.

Danny Mitchley`s spot-kick pulled one back for the home side four minutes later, but Dean Stott, also from the spot on 54 minutes, and Tom Greaves 11 minutes later completed a comfortable win for FC United, leaving the Cumbrians' only consolation of a bumper 710 crowd.

In a hastily rearranged game, AFC Fylde maintained their play-off hopes with a 3-0 win over Matlock Town. This game was quickly organised by the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League's officials after Fylde's match at Stocksbridge Park Steels and Matlock's home game with Worksop Town had both been postponed with snow still on the respective pitches.

Joe Booth fired home a penalty in the fourth minute after Sean Cooke was bundled down in the box to give the Coasters an early lead but it took until the 84th minute for Fylde to score their second. Cooke blasting home a free-kick from a tight angle on the edge of Matlock's box after James Dean was brought down and Jon Kennedy had no chance to stop it on his line. The third came in the second minute of injury-time when Harry Winter scored to confirm the win for Fylde.

Marine's hopes of a top five finish were just about kept alive with a 2-1 win against Nantwich Town at the Arriva Stadium. The Mariners only trail fifth-placed FC United by three points, but have played three more games than them – and five more than sixth-placed Fylde.

Will Jones' penalty five minutes into the second half broke the deadlock for the Mariners. But Joe Guest equalised on 63 minutes before new star signing Lee Trundle won it for his new employers six minutes later.

Chorley are another side whose top five ambitions are fairly distant, and they could only manage a 1-1 draw at the Turnbull Ground against Whitby Town. Keil O'Brien gave the visiting Magpies a 39th minute lead that Craig Farrell cancelled out from the spot seven minutes into the second half.

In the Saturday's two other fixtures, Ilkeston FC beat Blyth Spartans 3-1 with goals from Alex Taylor after seven minutes, James Reid three minutes after the break and Gary Ricketts in stoppage time. Joe Kendrick sandwiched a 54th minute reply at the New Manor Ground while Ashton United and Frickley Athletic shared a goalless draw at Hurst Cross.