Pickering Town threw away a two goal half-time lead at Louth United in the Northern Counties East League division one.

The Pikes were forced to settle for a share of the spoils as boith sides finished the match with ten men.

Headers from Tom Reid and Kevin Smith, making his league debut for Pikes following his switch from Nestle Rowntree, had Town firmly in control when the whistle blew for half-time.

But the loss of skipper Dean MaCauley to injury unsettled Pikes.

United pegged a goal back through Dean Baillie despite being reduced to ten men when a teammate was sent off for two bookable offences.

Worse was to come for Pikes when goalscorer Reid was sent for an early bath too after picking up his second yellow card.

And insult to injury was added with just minutes remaining when Baillie struck his second of the match to earn Louth a point.

An injury time winner from Paul Cygan snatched all three points for Selby Town at Denaby United in the NCEL premier division.

The two sides' combined total of 13 draws from 20 league games suggested this tie was a good bet for another share of the spoils but it was the home side who opened the scoring with their first real attack on 13 minutes.

Lee Thompson got round the back of the Robins' defence before pulling the ball back to Lee McMahon on the edge of the box.

He evaded a couple of ineffectual tackles before crashing the ball past Matthew Potter in the Selby goal.

Paul Cygan then had a gilt-edged opportunity to bring the scores level put somehow managed to put the ball wide from six-yards with the goal gaping.

After the restart Selby started brightly but then lost their rhythm as four Town players picked up bookings in quick succession.

Gradually, however, they clawed their way back into the game and equalised with a well-crafted goal; Andy Cugan heading home Andy Hart's cross on 73 minutes.

Then, with full-time beckoning, Paul Cygan made amends for his earlier miss, pouncing on a Dominic Moyles flick-on to slide the ball home.

Elsewhere in the NCEL premier, division one champions Harrogate Railway Athletic were ruthlessly exposed by Armthorpe Welfare striker Mark Smith.

Smith grabbed a hat-trick as Welfare cruised to a 3-0 win.

Railway have now conceded 17 goals in four matches with Smith piling on the woe for boss Paul Marshall in the fifth, 56th and 65th minute.

The NCEL division one table makes worrying reading for Tadcaster Albion, whose current run of poor form continued on Saturday when they lost 2-0 at home to chesterfield-based Glapwell.

It was a lacklustre performance from Albion against a side flying high in the league.

Glapwell controlled the tie throughout but didn't get the breakthrough their football deserved until the 63rd minute when defender Jason Bowater showed the strijers how it should be done by driving home from a tight angle on the edge of the area.

Tadcaster's hopes of levelling remained slim, only retaining a foothold in the match thanks to the heroics of 'keeper Steve Williams who pulled off a string of fine reflex saves.

It was left to veteran Willie Gamble to seal the points for Glapwell, coming off the bench and head home in the final minute.

Two goals from Kevin Severn and another from Andy Hammond against Yorkshire Amateurs kept Goole on track at the right end of the table.

In the West Yorkshire League premier division, champions Nestl Rowntree returned to the top of the table after beating Pudsey 4-1.

DEspite the loss of ace marksmen Kevin Smith to Pickering, 'Trees were far too strong for the home-side with Ben Pears, Steve Haddon, Neil Durkin and Kevin Graham all finding the net for Jim Collis's side.

Pudsey's late goal was scored by Richard Turner.

The win put Rowntree top courtesy of goal difference. They have 21 points, as do previous leaders Nostell Miners Welfare who were without a league game this weekend.

Also on 21 points are last season's runners-up, Carlton, who beat York RI 2-1 on Saturday.

In a poor first-half for RI, Carlton took a two goal lead thanks to an Andy Wilson header on 27 minutes and another far post header from Andy Megson six minutes later.

RI manager John Raynor put four across the middle in the second-half and the switch nearly reaped dividends when Lee Bond had three good chances to score.

But it was not until the 89th minute that RI got the goal their play deserved, substitute Ben Coxon heading home Graham Freer's cross.

Scott Barley and Lee Knaggs were outstanding at the heart of the RI defence.

Knaresborough Town progressed to the second round of the West Riding County Cup with a 1-0 win over Halifax's Shelf United in their replayed first round tie.

In the UniBond League division one, Harrogate Town put on an impressive show against promotion favourites Radcliffe Borough.

It was the visitors to Wetherby Road who took the lead, however, when Tony Carroll fired home from the penalty spot in the 25th minute.

Harrogate rescued a point with an equaliser in the 74th minute thanks to an Andy Ullathorne volley.

In the Northern Youth Academy, New Earswick Under-19s were held to a 2-2 draw by league newcomers Doncaster rovers.

Adam Wash fired the home side in front with his seventh goal in four games before Rovers equalised on 35 minutes.

After the break, Danny Farthing earned New Earswick a penalty after being brought down only for Gavin Mears to miss his spot-kick.

Rovers then took the lead and seemed destined to take all three points until Liam Gray scored with just five minutes to go after a brave 50-50 challenge with the 'keeper. Tom McKay was New Earsiwck's man of the match.

Pickering Town play host to Wards, of the Scarborough and District League, in the Bamford Trophy tomorrow night, kick-off 7.30pm.

Squad (meet 6.30pm): Sturdy, Connor, Siddle, Garnum, Cass, Abblett, Cruddas, MaCauley, Bazeyla, Dale, Jones, Gaughan, Graham, Brown, Thornton.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.