Depleted Selby Town went 5-1 down to a Northern Counties East League premier division defeat at second-placed Liversedge.

Injuries and suspensions took their toll on the mid-table Robins as high-flying Sedge showed them exactly why they are rated as favourites for the championship.

The home side had the better of the first half and went in at half time leading 1-0 thanks to a well-taken goal from Chris Walton in the 12th minute.

The Robins started the second half brightly with Matty Wain having a shot well-saved by Sutcliffe but goals from Chris Brown in the 60th minute and a Danny Lowe penalty five minutes later looked to have ended Selby's hopes.

Ian Twitchen put the Robins back in the game with a neat finish in the 67th minute and he was unlucky three minutes later when another effort hit the inside of a post.

Sutcliffe made two more excellent saves as Selby pushed forward but further goals from Walton and Gareth Hamlet in the last five minutes kept Liversedge on the tails of leaders Buxton.

Harrogate Railway were left licking their wounds after a ninth-minute Chris Howarth lead was trounced by Buxton 4-1, two goals ripping through the Rail in each half.

Pickering Town had to play catch-up from the first minute when Michael Fox opened the scoring for hosts Sutton Town, and apart from a James Drinkall equaliser 40 minutes later, they struggled to get back on terms.

Two goals late in the first half were appeased by a Lee Nogan strike to make it 3-2 on 50 minutes, but a 90th minute strike made it a definitive 4-2 to push the Pikes down to fourth.

The sending-off of Tadcaster Albion's Steve Ward for a little kick at the Parkgate goalkeeper in the opening 20 minutes of their NCEL division one match knocked them out of kilter and they slipped to only their third defeat of the season.

All of Parkgate's three goals came in the second half and all as a result of free-kicks just outside the area with Adam Fretwell (2) and Brian Cusworth on target.

Steve Davey took on the Ossett Albion 'keeper one-on-one and won to haul Goole above the UniBond League division one relegation battle with a 1-0 win.

He broke clear on 63 minutes and rounded the keeper before coolly slotting home to take Goole up to 15th place.

Updated: 11:48 Monday, January 16, 2006