Hambleton Ales North Yorkshire League

Bedale's bid to end 14 years in a First Division championship wilderness is facing a tough fight.

Bedale last won the title in 1989. But Harrogate Squash, their main threat against a long-awaited comeback, took the trophy twice in recent successive seasons.

Until the latest round of matches Bedale headed the division by a single point.

But now they have been pushed into second place by Harrogate Squash, although both sides have the same number of points.

Harrogate's 3-0 home win over Knaresborough netted them 12 points.

But each match went the full distance and the clash was only completed with a late, late finish.

Meanwhile Bedale could only manage a 2-1 victory against Otley, which earned them 11 points.

Harrogate lead because of fewer points against - 46 to Bedale's 58.

And because of their larger squad Harrogate remain favourites to take the title again. However, the cat and mouse chase between the two sides looks set to continue.

Scores - Harrogate Squash 3 Knaresborough 0 (Harrogate names first): Paul Hotchkiss beat James Lambley 7-9, 9-3, 9-0, 5-9, 9-0; Mark Harding beat Tim Russell 3-9, 9-10, 9-7, 9-7, 10-9; Dave Townsend beat Andy McMillan 9-7, 9-10, 10-9, 9-10, 9-2.

Bedale 2 Otley 1 (Bedale names first): Phil Martin lost to Matthew Wood 9-3, 4-9, 9-4, 5-9, 7-9; Dave Smiley beat Chris Lawton 9-1, 9-3, 9-4; Alan Peirson beat Brian Westerman 7-9, 9-0, 4-9, 9-7, 9-1.

Thirsk Squash Club's double-headed attempt for promotion to Division One was aided when Thirsk first team were handed 12 points on a plate by Wensleydale.

The Leyburn-based side were unable to raise a team, giving the Second Divsion leaders a helpful lift up the ladder.

Thirsk head the division with 110 points, undefeated in 10 matches. Their second team are in the runners-up spot on 91 points, ahead of third placed Pateley Bridge, also on 91 points. Thirss seconds have 42 points against while Pateley have conceded 43.

Division One: Harrogate Squash 3 (Paul Hotchkiss, Mark Harding, Dave Townsend) Knaresborough 0; Bedale 2 (Dave Smiley, Alan Peirson) Otley 1 (Matthew Wood); Northallerton 2 (Phil Shackleton, Keith Johnson) Wensleydale II 1 (Keith Parlour); Wensleydale 2 (Nick Brown, Dave Booth) Harlow 1 (Dave McGrath).

Division Two: Thirsk 3 Wensleydale II 0 (walk-over); Harlow II 1 (Martyn Hall) Thirsk II 2 (Steve Whiteley, Steve Snodgrass); Thorpe Perrow 0 Pateley Bridge 3 (Steve Terry, Steve Ball, Chris Lennox); Knaresborough II 3 (Martyn Gibson, Gary Hatch, Adrian Forge) Bedale IV 0; RAF Leeming 3 (Steve Grant, Phil Hopkins, Andy Huggett) Bedale III 0.

Division Three: Knaresborough III 0 Harrogate Squash III 3 (Adam Hughes, Bruce Ramsey, Andy Winspeare); Wensleydale IV 1 (James Iveson) Boroughbridge 2 (Joe Royle Dave Flintoft); Catterick Garrison 2 (Joe Rawthorne, Tim Jones) Harrogate Squash V 1 (Brian Williamson); Harrogate Squash IV 2 (Ian Simmons, John Elsworth) Harlow III 1 (Dave Parker); Pateley Bridge II 1 (Dave Mann) Thirsk III 2 (Andrea Mayne, Joe Coomber).

Kall Kwik Harrogate and District League

Newcomers to a squash league who said they did not expect to be pushing for promotion this season are doing just that.

Bedale have surprised rivals in Division Three by their top form.

Most had expected the side to be, at best, in a mid-table position. But in fact they are challenging Harlow for the top spot.

Both sides have played 12 matches, Harlow having 123 points, Bedale with 113.

At the start of the season Bedale skipper John Abbotson told league officials they were not anticipating promotion at the first attempt.

But a 3-0 away win over Boroughbridge has merely underlined their pedigree.

Collingham on 105 points and Harrogate Squash on 104 are currently the Bedale side's nearest rivals.

Bedale's 3-0 win over Boroughbridge came with victories by John Abbotson, Mike Lumley and Andy Hawkswell.

Abbotson beat Colin Leftly 7-9, 9-3, 10-8, 10-8; Hawkswell had 9-5, 9-5 9-0 scorelines against Dave Flintoft and Lumley beat Rob Hayhurst 9-3, 7-9, 3-9, 10-9, 9-7.

In Division One champions Scott Hall have paid the penalty for cancelling a match against Adel. They have been docked four points to underline their miserable season.

A club official said they had been unable to raise a team because of illness in the camp, coupled with holidays.

But while Adel remained idle leaders Ilkley and Harrogate Squash boosted their chances of the title.

Ilkley head Division One with 119 points, Harrogate Squash are second on 116 while Adel are third on 110, but have a match in hand on the top two.

If, as expected, Adel had beaten Scott Hall they could well have been in top position.

Division One: Chapel Allerton 0 Ilkley 3 (Gareth Hutchinson, Andrew Hutchinson, Phil Maunsell); Collingham II 0 Collingham 3 (Paul Roberts, Anthony Kettlewell, Matthew Cooke); Harrogate Squash II 2 (Simon Myring, Tim Russell) Harlow 1 (Steve Smith); Nomads 2 (Andy Hall, Joe Wilson) Harrogate Squash 1 (Tony Nowakowski); Otley 0 Moortown 3 (Robin Mannell, Phil Davies, Geoff Mortimer).

Division Two: Boroughbridge 2 (Simon Robinson, Phil Strong) Harrogate Squash 1V 1 (Adam Hughes); Knaresborough II 0 Harrogate Squash III 3 (Ivan Patchett, Steve Whiteley, one walk-over); Ilkley II 2 (Matt Duiedonne, Jonty Hawkes) Ilkley III 1 (John Henderson); Harlow II 3 (John Graham, James Hannaway, Roger Calvert) Collingham III 0; Moortown II 3 (Nigel Lister, Carl Knowles, John Kay) Harlow III 0.

Division Three: Moortown IV 2 (Martyn Wilkinson, Steve Holroyde) Pateley Bridge 1 (Bill Hannaway); Collingham IV 2 (Ed Dabrowski, Toby Morton) Moortown III 1 (Phil Maher); Harlow IV 3 (Dan Lupton, Paul Fairhurst, Martin Hall) Otley II 0; Knaresborough III 2 (Andy McMillan, Chris Robinson) Ripon 1 (Neil Jackson); Harrogate Squash V 3 (Bruce Ramsey, Tim Welch, Ian Bexon) Army Foundation College 0; Boroughbridge II 0 Bedale 3 (John Abbotson, Andy Hawkswell, Mike Lumley).