Haxby United’s potent goal threat kept them hogging top spot in the York Minster Engineering Football League premier division.

The Haxby ranks boast the same number of points, 18, as nearest challengers Dunnington.

But they occupy pole position courtesy of a goal difference of plus 22, which is double that of their challengers.

A bigger margin was ensured when Haxby overpowered visitors and anchor club York St John 5-2.

In a windswept encounter, it took just 15 minutes for Neale Holmes to put the hosts ahead.

Then Terry Taylor broke clear of the St John’s defence to score from close-range and make it 2-0 at half- time.

Haxby’s superiority was further underlined five minutes into the second half when Ash Hill found the bottom corner of the net after good work by Gary Newton and ex-York City midfielder Marc Thompson before an own goalmade it 4-0.

The students countered with a sharp reply, but Taylor was not to be outdone with a header at the far post before a late consolation for the visitors.

Dunnington kept breathing down the necks of the leaders with a 2-0 triumph at home to Dringhouses, while Kartiers also went nap with a 5-1 walloping of Wigginton+Grasshoppers%22">Wigginton Grasshoppers.

The top-flight’s top scorers were Old Malton St Mary’s.

Given a fright when visitors Tadcaster+Albion%22">Tadcaster Albion Reserves took a third-minute lead, a Neil Wilford-inspired Old Malton turned up the heat.

By half-time they had hit three unanswered goals shared between Dave Bell, Wilford and Rob Pinder.

They matched that after the interval with another trio of strikes, two from Ryan Cooper and a second by man-of-the-match Wilford for a resounding 6-1 win.

In division one, Pocklington Town toppled visitors Stamford Bridge 4-1, despite a leveller from Bridge’s Nick Shaw, who bagged his first goal of the season.

It was a losing double for the Bridge ranks, whose Reserve ‘B’ team fell with seven minutes to at home to Ouseburn United as both sides struggled to cope with the wind-lashed conditions.