ELTON VALE 5, HINDSFORD 2: This important top of the table clash turned out to be a bruising encounter at times, as the physically superior visitors tried their best to bully the Vale side into submission.

Hindsford had lost only three Manchester League games this season in the league to the top two clubs, and in the cup to Elton Vale in extra time.

Lee Dickinson scored three in the previous encounter and proved throughout this match to be the main tormentor.

In fact the clock had barely started when Steve Smith made a break down the right flank and fed the ball back to Dickinson, whose looping shot soon nestled in the far corner of the net.

What could be a better start than that?

Well, after five minutes Keegan released Armstrong on the left and his run and cross to the far post was met by Dickinson to double the lead. Smith almost made it three in ten minutes, as he escaped the chasing centre half but found the legs of the keeper as he spread himself to save.

The Vale defence then conspired to even things up as they tried to step out for an offside decision, something the referee had not swotted up on this week, and Holland was left exposed as the centre forward had time to pick his spot from the edge of the area.

On the half-hour Elton were awarded an indirect kick for a back pass, from which Dickinson nearly got his third as he fired a fierce shot into the goalkeepers chest.

Hindsford fought themselves back into the game, although they rarely were given an opportunity to threaten the Elton goal, they levelled when a poor free-kick escaped everyone and a Hindsford winger nimbly bypassed a tackle and from a seemingly impossible angle fired in an unstoppable shot into the far top corner.

So after commanding much of the play Elton went into the half time break on level terms with everything to play for.

The spectators did not expect a repeat of the first half opener, but as they finished their tea Keegan was played in on the left, darted through an attempted sandwich and rounded the keeper to score.

Dickinson then took his turn to feed Smith into the area only to be denied once more by Edge.

Ten minutes into the half Hindsford were awarded a compensating free kick for an illegal backpass and their effort from eight yards evaded the wall but bounced to safety off the post.

From that point on a combination of excellent passing play by Elton, their speed off the ball and an ever increasing number of conceded free kicks by Hindsford gave the Bury side more and more confidence as they began to lay siege.

The rewards came on 62 minutes as yet another corner was pushed back out to Malius who, when he got to the corner of the box, let go a skimming shot that sneaked through a dozen legs and into the near corner.

Elton's nap hand came up in the 70th minute as another Dickinson run produced a corner, the same player pinpointed his cross onto Wilkes' head and, as the full-back on the line buckled to protect his manhood rather than his team's pride, the ball crossed the line.

The 'Fold' had not finished and in the last 20 minutes created a number of chances, as the pace of Malius and Dickinson outflanked the struggling Hindsford defence.

A good day at the office and manager Shaw will be pleased with this result.

The reserve team travelled to local rivals Prestwich but finished 3-1 losers.'