ELLIOTT Coleman netted twice as Winsford United continued to put the heat on the Midland League Premier Division play-offs chasers with a win at Coton Green on Saturday.
This 3-2 success was Blues’ fifth successive victory and their seventh in an unbeaten eight-match sequence in the league.
They went behind at the Dave Henderson Memorial Ground in the 20th minute but responded brilliantly with a Coleman header four minutes later.
Skipper Steve Jenyons’ is enjoying a goal rush of late and his fifth in four games with a curling free-kick put Blues’ noses in front in the 34th minute.
Coleman stroked home Winsford’s third in the 60th minute and although Coton, who are also on the outskirts of the play-offs mix themselves, pulled another goal back six minute later, Blues were able to see the game out.
They moved up to fourth, leaping 1874 Northwich in fifth, while Brocton are also on 50 points in sixth in what is proving to be a thrilling promotion chase.
Injury-hit 1874 looked set for victory at the GW Arena but returned home from another promotion-chasing side, Dudley Town, with a 1-1 draw after both teams finished the match with nine men.
It was still 0-0 when Dudley’s Sean Devlin and 1874’s John McGrath were shown red cards in the 20th minute for their parts in a fight.
Matt Woolley put the Greens ahead in the 34th minute and it stayed that way until Matt Funge chased a ball over the top and slammed home for the Ronins in the 94th minute.
Before that though, 1874 were one man down from the 77th minute when Craig Pritchard was sent off, while numbers on the field were levelled up again in the 85th minute when Dudley’s skipper Luke Hennessey was brandished a second yellow card.
At the top of the table, Northwich Victoria were held 1-1 at the Apec Taxis Stadium by Hanley Town, who arrived a point clear at the summit.
Aaron Fleming broke the offside trap to chase a through ball and slot home to put Vics ahead in the 21st minute.
Hanley headed home from a corner to level matters nine minutes later.
For large periods of the second half Hanley laid siege on the Vics goal but could not break down the stubborn resistance on show.
Meanwhile, in Northern Premier League West, Witton Albion enjoyed a fourth successive win.
They were forced into a few team changes but left Clitheroe with a 2-0 success, secured courtesy of strikes by Freddy Garbutt in the 27th minute and Deji Sotona five minutes into the second period.
This latest victory left Witton, who were missing Harry Brazel, Alfie Bairstow, Joe Edwards, Tom Hoyle and Dammy Sotona from their starting line-up, ninth on the ladder and set for a top-half finish.
Having been in a position of looking over their shoulders only last month, they are now nearer to the play-offs placed sides (14pts) than the relegation threatened ones (19pts).
Happy Witton manager Ben Harrison said: “I thought we were brilliant and it was a really pleasing performance.
“Every player put a shift in and did the right things and made the right decisions most of the time.
“And we had a bit of quality to win us the game.
“Clitheroe had a chance early on, which was the one time we switched off. The lad should have scored and we got away with that.
“But after that we just did the right things. We battled, and when we did play we looked good and defended really well.
“Winning is a habit and we showed that today because we did the right things.”
Late goals from Jack McKean (85mins) and Harry Watson (90+5) to go with Joel Hind's 59th-minute effort sealed a 3-1 home win for Barnton at home to Sandbach, leaving them ninth in North West Counties Football League First Division South.
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