CONONLEY Sports have confirmed their status as the best of the rest in the Mastab’s Craven League Premier Division.

The winners seem likely to come from the top six, who are separated by only three points, but Sports climbed a place to seventh on the back of a 3-3 draw at sixth-placed Skipton LMS.

A hat-trick from Craig Gregory earned Sports their draw at the defending champions but Elliot Hollings was the visitors’ man of the match.

It wasn’t such a happy day for Cowling, however, substitute Callum Mulloy’s goal not being enough to prevent a 3-1 defeat at Embsay, the hosts notching their first win of the season to move off the bottom.

In Division One, Silsden Whitestar won a tight encounter 2-1 at AFC Colne to stay third.

Mark Bradley and Simon Cox found the net for the visitors, with John Berry taking the man of the match honours.

Craig Ebbrell netted all four goals for basement boys Cononley Sports Reserves but ended up on the wrong end of a 9-4 defeat at home to second-placed Gargrave, for whom man of the match Matthew Simpson scored eight.

Chris Fernyhough inspired Bingley Town to a 4-2 victory at home to Hellifield Sports, despite not having a recognised goalkeeper.

Usual shot-stopper Ryan Jennings was absent so centre forward Kyle Richmond put on the gloves and put in a great shift.

Bingley broke the deadlock early on, a flick from Michael Judson falling nicely for Brannan Lawn, whose pace proved too much for the Hellifield defenders before he calmly slotted home.

The hosts were in control and the second came when Judson volleyed home clinically on the turn.

Hellifield capitalised on a defensive mistake to pull one back but after the break Bingley regained their two-goal advantage when Jonny Brian slotted home from George Peterken’s corner.

However, Hellifield got another goal from nowhere to make it 3-2 but Bingley put the game to bed when a determined Joe Flaherty slotted home after two rebounds.

Man of the match Jonathan Walshaw couldn’t help Ingrow & Worth Valley, who lost 2-1 at Rolls Reserves, while depleted Bradley, who are tenth, went down 3-0 at Chatburn, despite keeper James Monkhouse being in fine form.

The visitors’ manager Tony Piotrowicz said: “We are struggling to field a consistent side, with four or five changes every week, and this is showing in the results.”