PICKERING Town's promotion bid in the Northern Counties East League premier division will go down to the wire.

A 1-1 draw at Barton Town on Thursday night in their penultimate game of the season means the Pikes need victory at Hall Road Rangers on Saturday to seal promotion to the Evo-Stik League.

Hall Road are fifth bottom after a 12-point deduction earlier in the season but are safe from relegation.

Joe Danby was the hero on Thursday as his 75th-minute goal cancelled out Bill Law's first-half opener for Barton.

The match nearly did not go ahead due to muddy patches on the pitch but the officials and both clubs agreed to get it on.

Paul Marshall's men are now three points behind second-placed AFC Mansfield with only Saturday's game to come. Mansfield have completed their fixtures and the Pikes have a superior goal-difference. Pontefract Collieries have already secured the title, and will be joined in promotion by the runners-up.

Meanwhile, Selby Town's hectic final week ended in fine fashion with a 3-1 home win over Swallownest on Thursday night - a fourth victory in eight days - meaning they finish the NCEL division one season in seventh place.

They had seen off Brigg Town last Saturday, then followed their 8-0 thrashing of Bolsover on Monday night with a 2-1 home win over Dronfield Town 24 hours later, and then this defeat of Swallownest.

Sam Cable got both goals on Tuesday and got another double on Thursday, with Liam Flanagan completing the scoring late on.

Selby knew they had missed out on the play-offs but in the end finished only two points behind Glasshoughton in sixth.

There were changes to the team on Thursday, among them Cable starting up front with Joe Dale out due to injury received on Tuesday.

The game had an end-of-season feel about it with Selby unsurprisingly not playing with the same intensity as earlier in the week.

Christian Fox's men took the lead, though, when Flanagan's low cross from the left was swept home by Cable.

Swallownest were reduced to 10 men following a nasty tackle from behind, with Selby's Gary Collier fortunate to be only yellow-carded for his reaction amid a flare-up involving several players.

However, Town were unable to impose themselves in the second half and it was hard to tell which side had the numerical advantage. It was no surprise when Swallownest equalised through Alex Lill just after the hour.

Selby upped their work-rate, but poor final balls, wayward shooting and excellent goalkeeping kept the scores level, Flanagan also crashing a shot against a post after a mazy dribble. Alex Robinson also hit the outside of a post.

But as the 10 men tired, Selby finally retook the lead as Cable found the corner of the net from the left of the area.

Flanagan then sealed victory when shooting into the top corner, cementing his place as top scorer with 36 goals this term.

Elsewhere, Harrogate Railway's relegation season in the premier division ended with a 1-0 loss a Worksop, Michael Trench netting from the spot, while Knaresborough Town capped their title-winning campaign in division one with a 3-2 win at Hallam on Monday, Ben Parkes, Tom Hesketh (penalty) and Colin Heath the scorers.