ON A day when clubs battled to get their pitches fit, with not all of them succeeding, Pickering Town went on a goal spree in the Toolstation Northern Counties East League Premier Division.

Braces from Ryan Blott and Joe Danby put the Pikes 4-0 ahead at home to Garforth Town, and they added three more in the second half from Matthew Turnbull, Billy Logan and Tom Claisse.

The thumping win was enough to put them back up to second as Handsworth Parramore were held to a 1-1 draw at Barton Town.

Struggling Harrogate Railway Athletic took a shock fourth-minute lead at AFC Mansfield, but the odds-on title favourites hit back to win 5-1 via Connor Smythe, James Ghaichem and Oliver Fearon's fifth hat-trick of the season.

It is now 17 matches unbeaten for Rudy Funk's side.

In Division One, Knaresborough Town's advantage is now five points.

They beat visitors Swallownest 1-0 thanks to Brad Walker's tenth-minute goal, but rivals Eccleshill United's match at Worsbrough Bridge Athletic was called off, as was Selby Town's visit to Yorkshire Amateur.

Harrogate Town must replay at Billericay tomorrow night [Tuesday] after a 2-2 draw in the third round of the Buildbase FA Trophy.

Rob Swain gave the visitors the lead with a towering header in the 11th minute, only for Town's Joe Leesley to equalise within a matter of seconds by curling the ball into the top corner from the left wing.

Another Leesley stunner put them ahead just past the hour, but Billericay levelled six minutes later through Adam Cunnington's flicked finish.

Terry Kennedy thought he had put Town into the quarter-finals late on as his prod towards goal clipped the inside of a post and rolled agonisingly across the line.

In Evo-Stik Division One North, promotion-chasing Scarborough Athletic won 2-1 at Trafford, with James Walshaw and a Lee Neville own goal putting the second-placed Seadogs in charge before Declan Ryding pulled a goal back.