Football: Edwards fires battling Hanley to summit

NEIL Edwards bagged a crucial winner to send Hanley Town to the top of the Premier Division.

The Abbey Lane outfit showed their powers of recovery by twice coming from behind to beat plucky Kidsgrove Athletic 3-2.

Danny Bull had put Kidsgrove ahead and scored again to re-establish his side's lead after Theo Stair had levelled matters.

But Josh Thorpe found a second equaliser for Hanley before the break, and that gave Edwards the chance to lift his side to the summit with his second-half winner.

Cheadle Town drop down to second after losing 4-2 at Audley.

Goals from Shaun Searle, Nathan Rowley, Shane Williamson and Karl Charlton saw off the Moorlands side, for whom Jon Evans scored twice in reply.

Rock-bottom Florence must have celebrated long and hard after claiming their first win of the season in some style.

Luke Standeven grabbed two goals with Matt Ellis and Dean Williams also on target in a 4-0 rout of Stretton.

Lee Cropper and Nathan Chinn-Shaw helped Abbey Hulton United maintain their unbeaten record to stay third.

The pair both scored twice in a 4-1 win against Norton.

Mark Grice was the toast of the town after netting five times for Wolstanton United.

Ashley Moran also helped himself to a couple in a thumping 7-1 win against Eccleshall.

Newcastle Town were also among the goals with a five-star rout of Biddulph Town thanks to Jack Harrison (2), Leon Probert, Matt Hardman and Jordan Cole.

Ball Haye Green came out on top in a ding-dong battle at Alsager Town.

Andy Teague, Greg Johnson and Mike Keates did just enough for the visitors to clinch the points, despite Carl McCurrie twice reducing the arrears.

Uttoxeter Town maintained their charge to the Division One title by seeing off Chesterton at Oldfields.

Tommy Smith's hat-trick and a Gary Beardsley strike handed the leaders a comfortable 4-1 win.

Elvin Bentley and Jack Williams scored the goals which enabled MMU to come from behind at Foley, while Hanley Town Reserves maintained their more distant challenge with a hard-earned success at Congleton.

Shaun Hancock, Alex Wright and Mark Groom were the scorers in a 3-2 victory.

Furo Davies hit a hat-trick, with Richard Smith and Josh Ford also on target as Leek scored five times after the break against Bradeley Town, while Wolstanton United Reserves raced to a 4-0 win at Cheadle SMU.

There was a battle royal at Redgate Clayton, where the home side just edged the verdict.

Goals from John Wright, Matt Barlow and Phil Mason gave Redgate what looked an unassailable advantage.

But plucky Sandbach hit back to level through Dan Driver (2) and Matt Smith.

It needed an 85th-minute winner from Alex Derrington to secure the points for Redgate.

Wayne Watson's hat-trick put Betley on the way to a 4-0 win at home to Whittington in Division Two.

But the highest scorers of the day were Norton, who scored 13 against bottom club Tunstall.

Greg Braddick led the way with four, Richie Shankland scored three and there were doubles for Adam Bradley and Ash Thompson.

Israel Amponsah and Jack Steele completed the rout with Jordan Taylor netting a lone consolation.

GUY PEARSON