The top four in the Macron NCEL Premier Division all won at the weekend as the race for promotion to Step 4 starts to gather pace as we enter the final months of the season.

Liversedge remain eight points clear at the summit as they dented Barton Town's play-off ambitions by beating the visiting Swans 2-1.

Lewis Stephens had put the away side in front in the opening two minutes but Finn Donovan levelled matters before the interval and Jack Stockdill ensured Sedge edged a tight encounter with his winner around the hour mark.

Beverley Town, Sheffield and Handsworth also picked up home victories to make it a perfect Saturday for the leading quartet.

Luka Suluburic struck twice whilst there was one each for Andrew Norfolk, McCauley Snelgrove and Glen Sani as Beverley dispatched Albion Sports 5-1 after they had gone behind through a sixteenth minute opener from Nathan Cartman.

Sheffield won by an even bigger margin as Alexander Hardwick's hat-trick helped his side to a 7-1 win over basement side Wombwell Town with Luke Mangham, Harrison Poulter, Cameron Bedford and Nathan Whitehead all adding to the visitors' woes.

And, Toby Kenyon and Harry Jessop were the scorers as Handsworth overcame Eccleshill United 2-0 to extend their cushion in the play-off zone to six points.

Tadcaster Albion climb into fifth, replacing Barton in the play-off zone, as Oliver Green's 65th minute winner secured a 2-1 home victory over Bottesford Town.

Spencer Harris had put the Brewers in front in first half stoppage time before the visitors levelled early in the second period through Alexander Render.

There were wins for Campion and Parkgate to keep within touching distance of the top five with Ben Grech-Brooksbank's early strike ensuring a 1-0 victory for the former at Horbury Town in Friday night's game.

Parkgate, meanwhile, staged a late comeback to grab a 4-3 home defeat of Knaresborough Town, Callum Rudd, Luke Bown and Finlay Staniland all striking in the last ten minutes to give the Steelmen a dramatic victory.

It was a disappointing weekend for the bottom three in the race to avoid relegation with Rossington Main joining Wombwell and Albion Sports in tasting defeat.

Ross Hannah struck for Main at Pickering Town but the Pikes ran out 3-1 winners with goals from Souleymane Coulibaly, George Thewlis and Maximillian Bauer.

Elsewhere, Penistone Church leapt up four places to eleventh as they ground out a single-goal victory at home to Thackley, Jordan Coduri with a 51st minute matchwinner.

In Division One, leaders Dearne & District tightened their grip on top spot as Adam Baskerville and Owen Fieldsend netted in the final quarter-of-an-hour to claim a 3-1 win at bottom side Glasshoughton Welfare.

They keep a twelve-point lead over second-placed Wakefield AFC who won 1-0 at home to fifth-placed Brigg Town on Friday night, Ethan Kachosa with the goal on 76 minutes that brought the away side's eight-match run of victories to an end.

And, Dearne's title ambitions were bolstered by defeats for the other top top-five sides with Harrogate Railway Athletic and Worsbrough Bridge Athletic both losing ground.

The Rail led 3-2 at Doncaster City going into the final thirteen minutes but Samuel Giles restored parity and Zavier Elkin-Sheppard grabbed a winner for the hosts on 85 to move his side up into fifteenth.

And, the Briggers were floored by an injury-time winner by Luke Williams as visitors Club Thorne Colliery walked away from the Totally Training Stadium with a 2-1 victory.

That win moves Thorne up into sixth, seven points away from the play-off zone with two games in hand, whilst Armthorpe Welfare are now seventh as they won 3-2 at Leeds UFCA, leapfrogging their hosts in the table with a last-gasp decider from Harry Sheperd.

Crowle Colts and Maltby Main missed out on a chance to close the gap to the top five as they both suffered home defeats to stay ninth and tenth, respectively.

Sonny Bennett struck the only goal of the game as Crowle fell to a 1-0 loss to Goole AFC whilst Cooper Hall and Joseph Taylor were the scorers in Nostell Miners Welfare's 2-0 win at Maltby.

Nostell are now just two points away from safety as they look to move out of the relegation zone but fellow bottom-three side Athersley Recreation could not get anything from their trip to Appleby Frodingham.

Krzysztof Jarosz, Ben Kirk, Kyle Simpson and Nathan Jarman scored in a 4-0 win for App-Frod that eases their relegation fears, seeing them up into seventeenth and now five points clear of the trapdoor.

Isaac Acquah struck twice for a priceless win for South Leeds, their 3-1 triumph at Ilkley Town moving them up into eighteenth, jumping over Winterton Rangers who were beaten 3-0 at Selby Town.

Harry Clapham's two goals helped the Robins to the victory, taking his tally for the club to a hundred, whilst Zak Khan has reached fifty for the season for Route One Rovers after he scored in their 4-1 home win over Louth Town.

Reece Thompson grabbed a brace for Rovers who keep themselves in eleventh spot following their victory whilst Louth stay fourteenth.

Photo: Celebrations as Oliver Green puts Tadcaster Albion ahead with their matchwinner in a 2-1 home victory over Bottesford Town in the Macron NCEL Premier Division on Saturday. (Picture: Keith Handley)