A Joe Danby equaliser fifteen-minutes-from-time kept Pickering Town's hopes of a top-two finish in the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division still alive on Thursday night.

AFC Mansfield, who currently hold the second promotion spot, must have been on the edge of their seat waiting for the latest news from the Pikes' match at Barton Town, especially when the home side took a half-hour lead through Bill Law.

That would have meant that Mansfield, who have concluded their league campaign, would have runners-up spot confirmed but Danby popped up with a vital goal that means Pickering can leapfrog the Bulls with a win in their final game which is at Hall Road Rangers on Saturday.

That was one of five top flight matches played on the evening with champions Pontefract Collieries presented with the trophy after their battling 0-0 draw at a much-improved Staveley Miners Welfare.

The other three games saw comfortable home victories for Athersley Recreation, Bottesford Town and Hall Road Rangers.

Bottesford kept their chase for a top eight finish going as a Declan Bacon hat-trick plus goals from Dayle Hutson and Lee Ridley claimed a 5-0 defeat of relegated visitors Parkgate.

Kai Hancock also struck three times for Athersley Recreation in a 6-1 win over Garforth Town, Lee Garside, Simon Poole and Ben Walker also netting for the hosts whilst Mitchell Hamilton scored for the away side with all the goals coming in the first half.

The win keeps the Rec in seventeenth spot whilst Garforth finish their campaign in thirteenth.

Hall Road Rangers have moved up to eighteenth after they beat Hemsworth Miners Welfare 4-0, Joshua Batty another to score three with Daniel Norton also getting in on the action so Welfare end their season in sixth as they drop below Maltby Main on goal difference.

The final Division One league fixture took place on Thursday with Selby Town climbing into seventh spot after a 3-1 home victory over Swallownest, late goals from Sam Cable - his second of the evening - and Liam Flanagan secured the points for the Robins after Alex Lill had cancelled out Cable's opener.

Despite the defeat, Swallownest will be delighted with eleventh place, a more-than-respectable end to their first NCEL campaign.

Handsworth Parramore claimed the final League Cup Semi-Final spot as Steven Istead and Courey Grantham scored in the opening 25 minutes in a 2-1 victory at home to Ollerton Town, the Division One visitors getting themselves back into what was an enthralling game thanks to Gavin King's 29th goal of the season just before half-time.

The Amber Parras now travel to Liversedge on Tuesday to see who will face either Bridlington Town or AFC Mansfield in the Final at Bramall Lane later this month.

And, in the one game played on Wednesday, there was disappointment for Grimsby Borough who were beaten on penalties in the Final of the Lincolnshire Senior Trophy at Lincoln United's Ashby Avenue ground.

Adam Drury brought them back level on 44 minutes against Holbeach United, a side a division above them in the National League System in the ChromaSport United Counties League, and had chances to win the game before it finished 1-1 and Holbeach won 4-1 in the shoot-out.

Photo: Pontefract Collieries celebrate being presented with the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division trophy after their goalless draw at Staveley Miners Welfare on Thursday night. (Picture: The Dribbling Code)

Match Highlights