STRIKER Daniel Gray surged to the rescue of Tadcaster Albion to keep their title quest alive.

The Northern Counties East League premier division championship hunters were locked at 1-1 at Garforth and heading for a third successive draw despite dominating the duel.

But then with less than five minutes to go substitute Gray leathered home a 25-yard volley for a deserved and vital winner.

Said manager Paul Marshall: “It was a great performance by the lads, something like we were playing before our recent rocky spell.

“It now gives us something to build on for what will be a vital month.”

Elsewhere in the NCEL top tier, Pickering Town had to wait even longer before extracting any reward at home to Athersley Recreation.

After a blank first half, Athersley broke the deadlock nine minutes into the second half. For all Pikes’ subsequent pressure, the leveller did not materialise until the 88th minute when top scorer Billy Logan struck.

In division one, Knaresborough Town romped to an emphatic 4-0 success at Worsbrough Bridge.

By a shade over half an hour, the win was confirmed when Ben Parker, Colin Heath and Byron Littlefair breached the home defence. The fourth goal was notched a minute from time by Graham Whitehead.

Selby Town’s recent run of good form was halted – by the weather. Their first division clash at Dronfield Town was waterlogged off.

A late winner deprived Harrogate Town of a point from their Conference North excursion to Stalybridge Town. The hosts took the lead midway through the first half only for Jordan Thewlis to level with a penalty after he was upended. But level pegging ended when Aiden Chippendale struck for Celtic two minutes from time.

Neighbours Harrogate Railway Athletic had no trouble amassing a maximum haul at home to Burscough in the Evo-Stik league first division north.

There were two goals in each half – Malachi Farquharson and Matthew Heath before the interval and then an Adam Baker brace in the final seven minutes.

In the same division, Scarborough Athletic mustered a point from a 2-2 draw at Prescot Cables, where they trailed 2-0 with ten minutes to go before strikes from Ryan Blott and Dean Lisles.