SINCE Ewood Amateurs sewed up the title of the Colborne Trophies Premier Division some weeks ago, eyes have been focused on the race for second place.
This has now gone to Griffin Celtic after their 6-0 midweek demolition of Manxman.
They played their final league game on Saturday against Ewood, losing 3-2.
All that is left in this division is to see who goes down. Three clubs - Whitehall Top Con, Rishton and Crown Wallcoverings - are in the danger zone, although all three have enough games left to stage a late recovery.
The scrap in the title race in the Hi-Tech Replacement Windows Second Division continues. Railway Hotel seemed to have blown their chances when they lost heavily to Clarence FC last week, but inexplicably their close rivals Centurion, visited next to bottom Blackburn YMCA in midweek, losing 5-2 to put Railway back on course.
With such luck, Railway must be favourites, but they must gain maximum points from their remaining games to be sure.
Langho and Witton Albion have enough games left to mount a serious threat to these two. Among their six games left Langho have to meet Witton, Centurions and Railway, and Witton, with seven games, have to meet Railway, Centurions and Langho.
Despite their good win in midweek, YMCA look likely to drop out of this division along with Bangor Old Boys, although Rishton Res are on the edge of the drop zone. In the Third Division it would appear that it is all over bar the shouting. Anchor Hotel are still, at the moment, in pole position with a two point lead and with one game left. Second placed New Gardeners, however, with four games left, must be firm favourites. At the bottom, Blackburn YMCA Res and Cupal seemed destined for a spell in Division Four next season. Shaws of Darwen lost their coveted 100 per cent record in midweek at the hands of arch rivals Railway Hotel Darwen.
In a hotly contested game, Railway scored the only goal. Shaws still need three points from their last three games to be sure of the title but should have no trouble in doing that.
Crown Berger Res and Railway Hotel will fight it out for second place. Railway defeated Rishton C on Saturday to stay on course but Crown are still favorites to pip Railway, needing just three points from four games.
The first of the cup semi finals take place on Tuesday night, with the Birtwistle and Eddleston cup games being played at Pleasington (kick off 6pm).
On Thursday there are league games taking place.
Results (March 30) - Premier Division: West End CYC 2, Netlon 2; Crown Wallcoverings 0, Ewood Amateurs 4; Manxman 0, Griffin Celtic 6; Old Toll Bar 1, St Mary's College OB 1; Crown Berger 4, Rishton 1.
Second Division: Blackburn YMCA 5, Centurions 2; Langho 1, Ivy Hotel 0; Bangor OB 1, Rishton Res 2; Pleasington 1, Witton Albion 1.
Third Division: Pleasington Res 1, Worth Avenue 1; Blue Star 3, Cupal 3; New Gardeners 3, Blackburn Olympic 0; Athletico Mellor 0, Anchor Hotel 1. Fourth Division: Grimshaw Park 2, Printers 3; Rishton C 6, Centurions B 1; Shaws of Darwen 0, Railway Hotel Darwen 1.
Results (Saturday, April 3) - Premier Division: Rishton 0, St Mary's COB 0; Crown Berger 2, West End CYC 2; Crown Wallcoverings 1, Netlon 5; Ewood Amateurs 3, Griffin Celtic 2; Old Toll Bar 3, Manxman 5.
Second Division: Centurions 5, Rishton Res 2; Clarence 1, Blackburn United 4; Blackburn YMCA 0, Witton Albion 8; Langho 3, Pleasington 2.
Third Division: Anchor Hotel 8, Cupal 3; Worth Ave 1, Blue Star 4; Alexandra Hotel Res 0, Darwen Subs 4.
Fourth Division: Rishton C 0, Railway Hotel (Darwen) 1; Blackburn Olympic Res 8, Centurions B 1.
Fixtures for Thursday April 8 (kick off 6pm) - Premier Division: Crown Berger v Crown Wallcoverings; Old Toll Bar v Netlon; Whitehall Top Con v Manxman.
Second Division: Rishton Res v Langho; Centurions v Blackburn Utd; Witton Albion v St Matthews; Blackburn YMCA v Ivy Hotel; Clarence v Pleasington.
Third Division: Cupal v Alex Hotel Res; Blackburn Olympic v Darwen Subs. Cotton Cup second round: New Gardeners v Blue Star.
Fourth Division: Brinscall v Grimshaw Park; Shaws of Darwen v Rishton C; Pleasington C v Printers; Railway Hotel Darwen v Centurions B.
Fixtures for Saturday April 10 (kick off 2.15pm) - Premier Division: Rishton v Alex Hotel; Ewood Amateurs v Whitehall Top Con; Crown Berger v Old Toll Bar; Crown Wallcoverings v St Mary's College OB; Netlon v Manxman.
Second Division: Centurions v Langho; Witton Albion v Clarence; Pleasington v St Matthews.
Third Division: Blackburn YM Res v New Gardeners; Alex Hotel Res v Blue Star; Darwen Subs v Worth Avenue; Cupal v Athletico Mellor.
Fourth Division: Rishton C v Pleasington C; Brinscall v Shaws of Darwen; Railway Hotel Darwen v St Matthews Res; Grimshaw Park v Blackburn Olympic Res.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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