Doncaster and Pontefract 1 both carded thumping victories as they put daylight between themselves and the chasing pack at the top of the Yorkshire Premier League.

With just five rounds remaining, Doncaster lead Ponte by just three points, but the gap to third-placed Hallamshire is now 23 despite the Sheffield side recorded a big win of their own on Wednesday night.

Doncaster were emphatic 20-2 winners of the cross-town derby with bottom-placed Woodfield. Ed Walker got his first YPL victory of the season with a five-game triumph over Polly Clark, who with the narrow defeat earned Woodfield's only points of the night.

The rest of the evening was a procession for Doncaster with William Donnelly, Lewis Doughty, Joel Arscott and trick shot king Will Salter all winning 3/0 and heading home for an early night.

Pontefract 1 were almost as ruthless in their rather more surprising 20-4 demolition of 2022 champions Queens in Halifax.

Captain Matt Godson kept up his great record this season with victory at No.5 and in-form Adam Taylor won a humdinger with Queens' fourth string Cory Harding. Tom Bamford continued the one-way traffic although he was pushed hard by Bader Almaghrebi in four lengthy games.

New Zealander Elijah Thomas was also thoroughly tested by former pro James Earles over four games, then the stage was set for tyro Finnlay Withington to take on world No.24 Patrick Rooney. The elder statesman won it in a thoroughly entertaining three games.

Defending champions Hallamshire also won handsomely on Wednesday night to all-but end fifth-placed Dunnington's hopes of the title.

Matt Gregory, ever-present in the YPL this season, beat Luke McFarland and Nick Wall Snr took care of Sam Gibbon in rapid fashion to give the hosts an ideal start. Three-time world champion Nick Matthew brushed off his former England team-mate Chris Simpson, but the night's other two encounters were far closer.

Hallamshire stalwart Adam Turner hit back from two games down against Dunnington's Seif Heikal to win the fifth 11-6, and at top string New Zealand's Temwa Chileshe also recorded a gruelling five-game victory against Welshman Owain Taylor to finish off a 20-5 team win.

After losing their first seven matches of the season, newly-promoted Ferriby Hall have now won three of their last six to move 12 points clear of the dreaded bottom spot in the table. This week, their lower order of Mike Reid, Yusef Forster and Ben Sockett swept to swift victories to seal the bonus points against Harrogate early doors.

Harrogate got their sole victory of the night through Dec Christie over Guyana's Samuel Ince-Caravalhal, but youngster Ben Smith put the cherry on the cake for Ferriby Hall with an absolute belter against Lwamba Chilshe which he win 12/10 in the decider.

In Wednesday night's other fixture, Pontefract 2 remain in peril in second-bottom following a damaging 19-6 home defeat to seventh-placed Abbeydale. Hayden Tetley, Michael Tallentire, Jordan Hardwick and Elliott Morris Devred were the victors for the visitors from Sheffield, with Connor Sheen bagging a consolation victory for the hosts.