JOE DALE starred as Selby Town became the big winners in the Northern Counties East League first division on a weather-hit Saturday.

The bulk of the fixtures in the league were postponed because of the wintry conditions but Selby's clash at mid-table Rossington Main got the green light and the Robins stormed to a 5-0 victory to rise a place to fifth in the table.

Former Pickering Town forward Dale hit the first four of the goals, striking after 10, 15, 38 and 60 minutes, with a James Bytheway own goal completing the scoring after 67.

Grimsby Borough stayed fourth, though, after a 3-0 win at bottom team Brigg Town.

The only other game in the division saw Nostell Miners Welfare edge fellow strugglers Retford Town 2-1, while the only game in the premier division to beat the weather saw AFC Mansfield go top of the table after winning 4-2 at lowly Parkgate.

Games involving fourth-placed Pickering Town and relegation-troubled Harrogate Railway Athletic were postponed, as was that involving table-toppers Knaresborough Town in division one.

The same fate befell Tadcaster Albion and Scarborough Athletic in the Evo-Stik League division one north, with their respective games at leaders South Shields and Radcliffe Borough falling foul of the icy weather.

Scarborough were leapfrogged in the table by Hyde United, who hammered Trafford 6-1 to jump up to third place, in one of the few games to beat the weather.

Droylsden also closed in on the fifth-placed Seadogs after a 5-0 win at Atherton Collieries, three of the goals coming in the last nine minutes.

Meanwhile, Harrogate Town host Pontefract Collieries in the West Riding FA County Cup quarter-finals tonight (7.45pm).

Town, who went second in National League North after their share-all at Kidderminster Harriers in midweek, saw their league encounter at lowly Nuneaton on Saturday join the plethora of matches to be called off because of the weather.

They duly slipped back to third place, leapfrogged again by Brackley Town who bagged a point in a 1-1 draw at mid-table FC United of Manchester.

Town were given assistance by Stockport County, though, who beat promotion hopefuls Spennymoor 3-2 in the only other game to beat the weather, keeping them seven points behind Simon Weaver's men.