A TOTAL of 42 places separated Premier Division Grassington United and Third Division strugglers Barnoldswick Barons when they met in the second round of the Northern Plant Hire Trophy, and it showed.

United, buoyed by a hat-trick from man of the match Chris Simpson, won 5-1 to book a home tie with fourth-placed Second Division club Skipton Town, who are exactly a division below Grassington.

Other goals came from Paul Wright and substitute Jeremy Gee, with man of the match Luke Scothern replying for the Barons.

Grindleton defeated Chatburn 1-0 and will be at either Ingrow & Worth Valley or Cononley Sports in the last 16.

There was almost a whole division between second-placed Rolls and cellar dwellers Earby Town in the Mastab's Craven League Premier Division, with hosts Rolls triumphing 9-2.

Goals for the winners came from man of the match Liam Garbutt (4), Morgan Brown (2), Samuel Chapman, Jonathon McGeachie and substitute Matthew Coates as they kept the pressure on leaders Cross Hills.

Silsden Whitestar strengthened their promotion case in the First Division.

Their 5-3 home victory over third-placed Gargrave has not only put them joint top with Chatburn with two games in hand but also means that Gargrave cannot catch them with their game in hand.

However, the visitors, inspired by man of the match Matthew Simpson, made them work hard, leading 2-0 with goals after 40 seconds and 15 minutes.

But the in-form Mark Bradley netted with ten minutes to half-time and James Whitehead made it 2-2 in the second half, when Whitestar had a favourable wind.

Man of the match Sam Stanfield added a third with a header, with Ben McClennon and Bradley ensuring the points before Gargrave hit a late consolation goal.

Whitestar manager Gary Lund said: “It was a great victory and a superb team effort from all 14 squad players.”

However, there was no fairy-tale return to league action for Cononley Sports Reserves.

Without a league match since November 15 following six postponements, the basement boys lost 3-1 at home to Pendle Renegades, who climbed from seventh to fifth. Man of the match Laurence Dunne bagged Cononley’s consolation.

FC Sporting Keighley could well replace Cononley as they are joint top in Division Two.

They won 5-3 at tenth-placed Skipton LMS Reserves, in-form Aaran Abbas spearheading the win with four goals.

Skipton started well and took the lead after 15 minutes with a powerful header from a free-kick but Sporting pulled clear after the break via some excellent football. LMS' marksmen were Thomas Hunter (2) and Jack Stephenson, while Oliver Hunter was man of the match.

'Gong' winner Barry Gummery did his best to inspire bottom-of-the-table Sutton at Settle United Reserves, but the hosts won 2-0 to go seventh thanks to Paul Ambrose and Adam Smith, with Steven Mounsey taking the man of the match award.

Andrew Hardeman and Chris Hogg, who took the gong, were on target for Bradley Reserves in Division Three but they went down 3-2 at third-placed Skipton Town Reserves, who rose one place after goals by man of the match Ross Greenwood (2) and Naq Hussain.