Everyone involved with Pontefract Collieries can be forgiven for feeling a little bit ruff on Sunday morning after a 2-0 win at Maltby Main on Saturday confirmed their move up into the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League.

Vaughan Redford's 29th minute opener was added to by a late second from Aaron Moxam to confirm the Colls a top-two finish that will see one of the original members of the NCEL leave the competition for the first time as a result of back-to-back promotions.

There was also delight for Main as they smashed the world record for the number of dogs attending a non-league game in aid of Support Dogs, a national charity that provides help for those who suffer with autism, epilespy and disability, with 78 in attendance as well as the 177 humans who were there to watch history being made.

AFC Mansfield ended their campaign with a home victory but will now have to wait to see if they can hang on to second spot as Pickering Town were also victorious to keep breathing down their neck.

Mansfield went behind to Athersley Recreation through Joe Singleton but their top scorer Oliver Fearon levelled before having to go into the Bulls net following the dismissal of Jason White and the hosts claimed the win with Jordan Annable's strike on 50 minutes.

The Pikes stay five points behind Mansfield with three games to play following their 3-1 victory at Bridlington Town, Billy Logan, Ged Dalton and Lewis Taylor helping them into a 3-0 lead by the interval before Christopher Jenkinson's consolation came for the Seasiders early in the second period.

At the other end of the table, it was a day of sadness for Harrogate Railway Athletic who have become the third side to be relegated, alongside Clipstone and Parkgate.

The Rail needed a win to have any chance of staying up but goals from Callum Ward and Mark Simpson saw visitors Garforth Town claim a 2-0 victory.

In the end, though, the result was immaterial as Hall Road Rangers' 2-1 home win over Thackley ensured Rangers would stay up at the expense of Railway, thanks to a double from youngster Reagan Waud whose six goals over the past week went a long way to sealing his side's survival.

The two other relegated sides had afternoons to forget on their travels with Parkgate going down 8-1 to Hemsworth Miners Welfare, Nash Connolly's hat-trick and a brace for Bradley Dockerty helping to move the hosts up into fifth.

And, Clipstone were beaten 6-0 at seventh-placed Penistone Church with Nathan Keightley's injury-time double adding to earlier goals from Tom Brennan, Brett Lovell, Kieran Ryan and Ryan Johnson.

Elsewhere, Declan Bacon claimed a hat-trick for Bottesford Town who climb to tenth after their 4-0 home victory over a Worksop Town side who suffered their eleventh straight defeat and cannot wait for the season to be over.

Adam Baskerville struck twice for Staveley Miners Welfare in a 3-2 win at Handsworth Parramore, it was goalless between Barton Town and Rainworth Miners Welfare, and Albion Sports' trip to Liversedge was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.

In Division One, Grimsby Borough missed out on a chance to move into the second automatic promotion spot as they were held 1-1 at home by fellow top-five side Shirebrook Town.

Declan Brewin put the visitors ahead on 55 minutes before he was sent off and then a Christopher Timons own goal close to full-time claimed a point for Borough that leaves them in fourth spot, a point behind Yorkshire Amateur and Eccleshill United.

All three have one game left to play on what will be a dramatic night on Monday as Eccleshill host the Ammers with the winners confirming promotion but, if that ends a draw, Borough would overtake them and go up with a win at home to East Yorkshire Carnegie.

Hallam and Selby Town kept their play-off hopes alive with victories, Hallam now just a point away from the top six with a game to play after Samuel Smith's double and goals from Mitchell Dunne and Benjamin Thornton saw them dispatch Rossington Main 4-0 in a match that had been switched to Main's ground.

Selby's chances are slimmer, eight points away with three fixtures remaining, but Gary Collier's brace helped them to a 4-2 home defeat of Brigg Town that keeps their interest going but it was a scoreline that condemned the visitors to relegation.

The Zebras needed a point to move out of the bottom two and put the pressure on FC Bolsover on Monday but, despite goals from Jack Tierney and Matthew Steeper, they must sadly now prepare for life at Step 7 alongside fellow relegated side Retford United.

And, in the day's other Division One game, champions Knaresborough Town kept themselves on course to break the hundred point barrier as Nicholas Black and Colin Heath netted in the opening 25 minutes to win 2-0 at Dronfield Town.

Photo: A 2-0 win for Pontefract Collieries at Maltby Main on Saturday confirmed a top-two finish in the Premier Division and promotion to the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League. (Credit: The Dribbling Code)

Match Highlights