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9th October 2005
Last week's leaders North Ferriby United continue to head the Premier Division after a midweek win over Lincoln United but Blyth Spartans slipped two places to fourth after losing at the in form Frickley Athetic on Tuesday.

However, Athletic missed out on the chance to join Burscough in second when they were held at home by Lincoln United who had a tough week but were within touching distance of a win on Friday until Frickley grabbed a late equaliser. At the other end of the table Leek Town took a point in a goalless draw at home to Wakefield-Emley but made no ground up on next to bottom Runcorn FC Halton who also managed a point at home to Bradford Park Avenue on Saturday. The "Linnets", however, will have been disappointed not to have taken all three points after Colin Flood had put them two up. Whitby Town lifted themselves out of the bottom three with victory over Ossett Town on Wednesday and are replaced by Gateshead who lost both games during the week without scoring a goal. Tuesday evening's game against Ashton United proved to be unlucky thirteen for Witton Albion who failed to score for the first time in that many league and cup matches and went down 1-0 to Ashton United who have now taken 12 points from the last eighteen after a poor start to the campaign.

A week of surprises in the First Division ended with new leaders in Colwyn Bay who only drew at Chorley in midweek but bounced back at the weekend to defeat previous top dogs Fleetwood Town after Town had lost at Kendal Town on Tuesday. After blazing an early trail it is now just one point from their last four games for Fleetwood but the previously free scoring Mossley failed to take advantage of Fleetwood's malaise, however, picking up only one point from their two games but stay second as Gresley Rovers went down in the day's biggest shock at Spalding United. Despite a hat-trick for the second successive Saturday from Aaron O'Connor for Rovers the "Tulips" hit four of their own to record their first win of the campaign and put Belper Town, who lost a two goal lead at home to Bridlington Town, on the bottom rung. Spalding boss Steve Welsh celebrated by announcing his resignation to take up the position of first team coach at League Two Boston United! Six points for Clitheroe have lifted them level with Gresley but Kendal Town's home defeat by Chorley saw the Lake District side drop off the pace. A run of six consecutive 1-1 draws by Bamber Bridge came to end when they managed a 2-0 victory at Kidsgrove Athletic.

The League have five clubs in the hat for the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup with pride of place going to Burscough who defeated Conference North Workington. Farsley Celtic and Leek Town also overcame outside opposition whilst the two all UniBond ties went the way of Blyth Spartans and Ossett Town with the latter coming from 3-1 down to win 6-3 at Matlock! UniBond "Fair Play" Awards

The UniBond "Fair Play" awards for the combined months of August and September have gone to Lincoln United and Chorley respectively.

Premier Division winners Lincoln United pick up their award for the first time since the end of season 2003/4 when they won the First Division awards in February and April to help them take the overall season's first prize of £1,000. This time round they received only four cautions in ten games - well ahead of any other top tier club. Naughty boys were Frickley Athletic with no fewer than five dismissals whilst Blyth Spartans picked up 22 cautions in addition to two dismissals.

Chorley are certainly no strangers to the monthly "Fair Play" awards having picked it up three times last season and the latest prize sees them winning for the fourth time in eight months. The "Magpies" three cautions in seven games was just ahead of Colwyn Bay's five in ten whilst Woodley Sports had the worst record of any member club with seventeen cautions and five dismissals in eight games.

The League Sponsors put up £5,000 in prize money for the "Fair Play" awards in addition to their sponsorship of the League. Come next May the best behaved teams in both Divisions will pick up £1,000 each, the runners-up £750, third place £500 and fourth place £250. Full tables can be found elsewhere in this Press Release.

Honour Quits at Bishops
Bishop Auckland manager Brian Honour quit on a high with his side's victory at Woodley Sports last Saturday being a first defeat for the home side on their newly installed synthetic surface. 41 year old Honour, who played more than 350 games for Darlington and Hartlepool United in his full time career, joined Bishops in September 2002.

Club Chairman Terry Jackson said "Brian feels the team would benefit from a new voice in the dressing room and that change should be made as soon as possible". The club are to advertise the position with senior player Tony Hall taking charge until an appointment is made.

Witton Boss Goes
Witton Albion manager Gary Finley became the sixth UniBond League managerial casualty barely two months in to the campaign and the fifth in the last fortnight when he parted company after a controversial match last Saturday against Bradford Park Avenue.

Following an incident in the player's tunnel at half time Albion, to their great credit, acted very commendably in taking action and releasing the player involved. After talks with club officials in the aftermath of the club's decision Finley and his Assistant Lee Coathup left Albion by mutual consent. Reserve team boss Jim Vince has been appointed Caretaker Manager and will have the opportunity to make the job his own as Albion are not going to advertise the position. It is understood that Vince will be appointing an Assistant in due course.

The other bosses to have left this season are Paul Ogden (Leek Town), Bryan Chambers (Eastwood Town), Tom Wade (Gateshead) and Phil Stant (Ilkeston Town).

Gateshead Appoint Richardson
Gateshead have announced that Colin Richardson is their choice to replace Tom Wade who resigned as manager last week. Richardson has had considerable success as a manager in the North East particularly in the Northern League where he guided Whickham to Wembley in the 1981 FA Vase. Richardson, now in his sixties, has managed in the UniBond League previously with Bridlington Town and starts a second stint with Gateshead having previously taken them to fifth and seventh place finishes in the Conference during the early nineties.

Spartans Take Radio Award
Blyth Spartans' excellent start to the season didn't go unnoticed by Radio Newcastle who have made them their North East Non-League team of the Month. Radio Newcastle presenter Barry Hindson said "It's great to see Spartans on the up and up again. The atmosphere at Croft Park is tremendous these days with crowds approaching the 500 mark. Well done to Harry Dunn and everyone concerned".

Tudor's Six Year Wait Ends
A six year wait for promotion by Bridlington Town reserve team goalkeeper Nick Tudor came to end last Saturday and he celebrated in style with a clean sheet. With a groin strain keeping regular number one Nick Baxter on the sidelines the 34 year old Tudor was summoned for his first appearance since the 1999/2000 season when his last of ten appearances during that campaign came in a County Cup game in November 1999!

Manager Billy Heath has recently completed 250 games in charge at Queensgate with his record reading P253 W132 D48 L73.

Eight Through To Next Round of FA Youth Cup
With the demise of both Stocksbridge PS and Marine this week at the hands of Leigh RMI and York City respectively there are eight UniBond League clubs through to the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA Youth Cup scheduled to take place week commencing 10th October. The draw, as it effects UniBond clubs is as follows -

Alfreton Town v Leek Town, North Ferriby Utd v Garforth Town, Bradford Park Ave v Southport, Ryton v Burscough, Bromsgrove Rovers v AFC Telford Utd, Vauxhall Motors v Goole AFC, Farsley Celtic v Warrington Town

300 Up For Lukic
Matlock Town captain James Lukic was all set to make his 300th appearance for the club in the FA Cup tie against Ossett Town today despite being just 23 years of age. The nephew of former Arsenal and Leeds United goalkeeper John Lukic, he is set to become only the 12th player to make 300 appearances or more for the "Gladiators" since they joined the Northern Premier League in 1969.

In front of Lukic are Tom Fenoughty (301), Stewart Wilson (309), Colin Dawson (313), Stuart Franklin (325), Nick Fenoughty (388), John Sheppard (389), Peter Scott (416), Colin Smith (421), Alan Lukasik (509), Nick Tilly (591) and Mick Fenoughty (673). Current defender Dave McNicholas, at 33 some ten years older than Lukic, is also about to make his 300th Matlock appearance.

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Rovers Make A Point On The Road

Lincoln Pre-match News

At home to:
Willenhall Town (UniBond President's Cup 2nd Round)

Tuesday 14th October, 7.45pm

View previous encounters with Willenhall Town