BARNSLEY’S top non-league sides continued their impressive starts to the season this week and are crowding around the tops of their tables.
Penistone Church remain first in the NCEL Premier while, in Division One, the places from second to fourth and taken up by Dearne and District, Wombwell Town and Athersley Rec respectively.
Karl Rose, the manager of third-placed Wombwell Town who are unbeaten in their first ten league games, said: “It’s phenomenal to have so many Barnsley teams up there and long may it continue. I personally like to see all the town teams doing well.
“Penistone are flying high in their league then, in ours, Dearne have hit the ground running in their first season and Athersley have surprised everybody.
“Hopefully Worsbrough Bridge turn it around as well. I would like two Barnsley sides to go up out of our league, hopefully it’s us who win it then the others are in the play-offs.”
Town won 5-1 at home to fifth-placed Maltby Main on Tuesday, taking them to 26 points from ten games. Rikki Paylor scored twice with Gavin Allott, Jordan Kershaw and Edward Agnew also netting, before a late consolation.
Rose said: “Maltby were the form team in the league and unbeaten since the opening day so to beat them 5-1 is a great result. We’ve had a very similar start to last season but I think we have a better squad this time, and we’ve played a lot of the best teams already.”
Wombwell had won 3-0 at home to Ashton Athletic in the FA Vase on Saturday. Kershaw scored once then Agnew twice.
Dearne and District are a point ahead of Wombwell, having played two games more. They won 4-0 at Swallownest on Friday. Bayley Lowe, Jake Phillis, Rylee Grove and Shay Evans-Booth scored.
Dearne then won 3-2 at Yorkshire Amateur on Tuesday, with Evans-Booth scoring twice late on after they trailed 2-1. Jamie Knox netted earlier.
Athersley Rec are fourth, four points behind Wombwell, after collecting 22 points from their first 11 games.
They lost 4-0 at Nostell on Saturday but they won 2-1 at Harrogate Town on Tuesday. The hosts took the lead but Nathan Perks and Alfie Bakes had Rec in front by half-time. Athersley now host leaders Horbury Town tomorrow.
Worsbrough Bridge lost 2-0 at home to Handsworth in the FA Vase on Sunday. Bridge then went down 3-0 Worksop Town in the Sheffield Senior Cup on Wednesday.
Penistone Church won 3-1 at Campion in the Premier Division on Wednesday.
They are six points clear at the top with 25 from 11 games.
Ryan Johnson and Nathan Keightley put Church 2-0 up after six minutes then Campion replied soon after but Keightley’s second half penalty secured the win.
That was after Church lost 4-2 at Abbey Hey on Saturday in the FA Vase.
They went 4-0 down then Leon Hurles-Brook and Keightley replied late on.
