GROUP B of the Carl Brown Memorial Trophy is proving a real battleground.

Three Crowns hold top spot after a 2-2 draw with Royal Oak, but Union Arms A are closing in after a 6-1 romp against Rileys - Paul Monaghan striking a terrific treble.

There was a hat-trick in Group A to with Alan Litherland on top target for Blue Lion, 6-1 winners against Punch Bowl.

In Division Two it was "play it again" time for Church Inn and Ross's. They drew 1-1 on the opening day of the Leigh & District Amateur Football League season - and repeated the dose on Saturday. But Ross's equaliser from Tony Brough came just 20 seconds from time, Peter Hough scoring in the first half.

Butchers stay second behind Church Inn after a 5-0 thumping of Leigh Victoria, Gary Renshaw 2, Gary Newby 2 and sub Mark Brennan on target. Referee Danny Rhoden was highly praised for his performance in the game.

Results - Carl Brown Memorial Trophy, Group A: Blue Lion 6 Punch Bowl 1; Group B: Three Crowns 2 Royal Oak 2, Union Arms A 6 Rileys 1; Division One: Queens 0 Leigh Eagles A 6; Division Two: Britannia 2 St Gabriel's 9, Butchers Arms 5 Leigh Victoria 0, Church Inn 1 Ross's Wanderers 1, Concert Rovers 1 New Inn Rangers 2, Corbett Brewery 3 Union Arms B 7, Leigh Phoenix 2 Leigh Eagles B 3.

Fixtures (2pm) - Davenport Cup, quarter-finals: Church Inn v Union Arms B, Punch Bowl v Royal Oak (Malcolm Sargent), New Inn Rangers v Leigh Eagles A (Mick Horridge), Union Arms A v Ross's Wanderers (Joe Cambray). Division One: Higher Fold Village Inn v Rileys (Duncan Calland), Three Crowns v Blue Lion (Danny Rhoden), Westleigh Village Club v Queens (David Casey); Division Two: Corbett Brewery v St Gabriel's (Andy Packwood), Leigh Eagles B v Butchers Arms (Maurice Jones), Leigh Phoenix v Britannia (Tony Horridge), Leigh Victoria v Concert Rovers (Albert Handley).

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.