At the top of the Ribblesdale League just two points separate leaders Baxenden from title favourites Read – and they both face tough games today.

Baxenden welcome Cherry Tree to Back Lane – and Andreas Sudnik’s men are flying at the moment with four straight wins to hoist themselves off the foot of the table and now they stand just nine points shy of the Lancashire Cup places.

Read are on the road to third-placed Barnoldswick where they will face the pace of home pro Jaffar Nazir in a game that could well be a pointer to each club’s seasonal futures.

In form Whalley, who have glided into fourth spot, cross in Yorkshire to face bottom side Settle, while Edenfield look to arrest a slide that has seen them slip from top to second from bottom.

Greg Smithson’s men have lost seven on the spin and their bright start is very much a thing of the past.

Clitheroe travel to Oswaldtwistle Immanuel and Great Harwood go to Ribblesdale Wanderers in another game that is too close to call.

Fixtures

Barnoldswick v Read, Baxenden v Cherry Tree, Edenfield v Earby, Oswaldtwistle Immanuel v Clitheroe, Padiham v Salesbury, Ribblesdale Wanderers v Great Harwood, Settle v Whalley.