Osbaldwick and South Bank took the opportunity to make ground on division one pacesetters Malton Bacon Factory and Post Office who were without league games on Saturday.

South Bank were a shade fortunate to win 2-1 at Wigginton Black Horse. Steve Hudson opened the scoring for Black Horse early on and it took a well struck free-kick from Mark Belleh to level ten minutes before half-time.

Fifteen minutes into the second-half John Alcock rounded off a good move to put South Bank into the lead but Black Horse raised their game in the last quarter and only a last-ditch save from the South Bank 'keeper, Steve Drake, preventing an equaliser.

Osbaldwick were 2-0 down in their home game against Haxby after goals by Dave Jeffries and Pete Nixon. James Luck reduced the arrears before half-time and Neil Price grabbed the equaliser early in the second half. As the visitors began to tire Mark Triffitt and Mark Crangle scored to give Osbaldwick a valuable 4-2 win.

Hammerton United remain rooted to the foot of the table after a 4-1 defeat at St John's College. Mark Smith (2) and John Bygrove put the students in control before Hammerton reduced the arrears before half-time whistle.

Any hopes of a Hammerton fight back were dashed when they conceded an own goal.

Thorpe United won 5-1 at Civil Service to remain on the fringe of the promotion contest.

Updated: 12:02 Monday, February 18, 2002