CLIFTON Alliance put a further dent in the promotion hopes of Goole Town after securing a 21 runs victory over the table toppers in the Hunters York & District Senior League division one.

Goole were the run-away leaders just a fortnight ago having held a 50 point advantage, but that lead has been reduced to only 20 points following this latest setback.

Clifton chose to bat first and, despite being bowled out in the final over of their innings, posted 233 which proved to be a winning total and secured only their second win of the season and their first since May.

Woodhouse Grange squandered the chance to capitalise on Goole’s defeat as they were heavily beaten by Driffield Town, who took their spot in second.

Grange bowler Scott Shepherds delivered a season best return of 7-37 as Driffield were dismissed for 176, with Carl Busfield top scoring with 28.

The hosts made just 86 in reply with Owen Goldsworthy (4 wickets for 9 runs) and James Barron (5 wickets for 23 runs) the pick of Town’s bowling attack.

Defeat for Woodhouse Grange means they fall from second to sixth in the league standings, with Driffield now the closest contenders to leaders Goole.

Bolton Percy fought hard to claim a respectable draw against third-placed Knaresborough.

David Girling and Greg Pickles hit 78 and 76 respectively to guide Knaresborough to an imposing total of 282-6 from their innings.

Then, Percy’s Ian Lynch fell just four runs short of a second hundred of the year, only to be denied by Tom Baines (5-19).

Tom Atkinson also contributed 31 to the hosts cause as they closed on 195-8.

Carlton Towers, who narrowly missed out on promotion last season, are once again in the frame as successive victories lifts them to fourth. Their latest triumph came at home to basement side Dringhouses who now find themselves cut 31 points adrift at the bottom.

The victory owed much to Scott Wolfenden’s 71 and Mark Holmes’ 41; the only two batsmen to reach double figures in their total of 197. George Wilson (4-41) and Tom Storr (3-40) shared seven of the ten wickets.

Liam Hancy top-scored for the away side with 44 but they could only manage a reply of 151 as they remain stuck to the foot of the ladder.

Harrogate were the biggest winners of the weekend and once again Ollie Horberry was the man making the headlines with both bat and ball.

Their dominant victory by 119 runs over Hornsea at St George’s Road saw them leapfrog their travelling opposition into seventh place.

Horberry’s 73 runs with the bat was the highest of the Harrogate scorers as they reached 272-8, complemented the striking of Will Topham (60) and Brian Fenwick (45).

Hornsea could only conjure 153 in reply - with Ashley McKinley hitting 64 runs - with Horberry (4-57) and Glen Ratcliffe (4-47) each taking four wickets.

The day’s other game saw a Heworth final wicket pairing deny Welton victory as they finished on 154-9 while chasing 177.

There was little to separate the sides as reflected by the similarity in their high scorers. Welton’s James Windeatt top scored on 42 before Jack Wilkinson replied with 40. Alfie Oliver’s figures of 3-35 were mirrored by that of Ashley Page (3-24) when the sides switched roles.