Pilkington Reserves hold the leaders to a 0-0 draw and Golborne Reserves win for the first time this season.

There was plenty of Cheshire League action this weekend after teams across the county had waited nervously for the Saturday morning sunshine to thaw their pitches.

After an interminable silence on the team Whatsapp group, as players waited to see if they would be heading to the pitch or to the pub for the lunchtime Premier League kick-off, many received the news that, despite the biting frost, their game was on.

Congleton stretched their unbeaten run in the league to five games when they travelled to Greenalls Padgate on Saturday.

Two first-half goals from Oliver Griffiths plus a second-half strike from Will Buckley earned them all three points. Congy sit top of the league with a four point lead over second-placed Altrincham Reserves.

Alty leapfrogged Crewe, who have three games in hand over the leaders, with a convincing 4-1 home victory over bottom-placed Broadheath Central.

A brace from Dontai Gabidon and further goals from Rhian Davis and Dan Lewis wrapped up an eighth consecutive win in all competitions, a run which has seen them score 37 goals in the process.

Crewe now lie in third after their game against Blacon Youth Club fell foul to the weather.

Elsewhere in the Premier Division Whaley Bridge warmed up for this weekend’s Derbyshire Cup tie with neighbours Furness Vale with a comprehensive 4-1 win over Egerton.

A first-half double from captain Bill Sutton, who now has seven in his last four league outings, plus another from Ollie Toseland sent Jamie Kay’s side into the break with a three goal lead.

Bradley West pulled one back for the visitors but Jason Broome made the game safe for Whaley with a thunderbolt late on.

There was a close game between Daten and Knutsford which was decided by a single goal as Jake Reddaway won it for the hosts. Elsewhere while Billinge and Poynton shared the points at Barrow’s Farm.

Alex Jackson had put Poynton ahead before Harvey Lambert’s last minute equaliser sparked jubilant scenes on the touchline among the occupants of the Billinge dugout.

In League One three games survived the weather including that of promotion-chasing Winstanley Warriors who snuck a 3-2 win when they hosted Maine Road Reserves; goals from Daryl Pattern, Jordan Rimmer and Anthony Smith sent Warriors above gameless Windle Labour Club to the summit.

Malpas moved above Denton into ninth after a Lee Parry inspired victory. Parry scored five of his side’s six whilst Oliver Hailes also managed to get himself on the scoresheet.

It was a bad day at the office for Denton and after the game the club tweeted that the players were ‘totally not at the races’ and that ‘attitudes need to change.’

If they are bounce back next weekend they will have to do so against a Garswood side who made it three wins on the spin against Ashton Athletic Reserves on Saturday.

Goals from Danny Clarke and Matt Robinson wrapped up a 2-1 win and moved Garswood up to fourth and seven points off the top with three games in hand over the leaders.

The two games in League Two saw nine goals, all of which came in St Helens Town Reserve’s 9-0 victory over Hartford. Hat-tricks for Nathan Glover-Smith and Morgan Onuh were added to by Josh Hoult, Matt Woods and Jose Ferreira.

That win sees St Helens move up to sixth but Hartford remain rooted to the bottom of the league with three points after ten games.

Goalless draws are hard to come by in this league, especially in League Two, which has been a veritable goalfest most weekends, but that is what transpired when leaders Winnington hosted Pilkington Reserves on Saturday.

The home side could have gone 11 points clear at the top with a win but had to settle for a point as both sides drew a blank.

There were two games Reserve League One as Eagle Sports opened up a three point gap at the top of the table with a 4-3 away victory over Daten.

Goals from Lee Boardman, Jordan Lockett, James Maher and veteran Richard Chinn secured the victory in a tight game in which Daten ran the visitors close with strikes from Leon Fisher (2) and Neil Sharples.

In the day’s other fixture Styal ran out 1-0 winners over Vulcan to go ahead of them in the table; Lee Broome with the only goal of the game for the hosts.

In Reserve League Two Lostock Gralam crept to the top of the division after a Matt Davies hat-trick earned them a 3-3 draw away to Moore United.

There were ten goals between Golborne Sports and Greenalls Padgate as the hosts recorded their first win of the season at the sixth attempt.

Mark Crossland (2), Sean Cassar, Jake Higson, George Reid and Jake Waterworth cancelled out a double from Jamie Gallop plus goals from Kyle Webster and Callum McClure in a thriller.

A last minute goal from substitute Johnny Burns ensured that Parklands remain unbeaten as a club this season (their first team have won five out of five in League Two) as they drew 2-2 with Crewe.

Burns’s leveller came after teammate Adam Donohue’s first-half effort.