Pontefract passed their sternest test of the season so far to retain the lead at the top of the Yorkshire Premier League - although Hallamshire are in hot pursuit.

Pontefract, who last won the title in 2009/10, have roared out of the blocks this term but had to dig deep to maintain their 100% record at defending champions Doncaster in round five.

Teenager Chester Dockray kickstarted the evening for the visitors with a 3-0 victory over Doncaster club champion Ed Walker, then Adam Taylor took care of Donny's Pontefract-raised world No.71 Asia Harris at fourth string.

Back came the hosts though, with Lewis Doughty (also facing his old club) handing Ponte captain Matt Godson his first YPL defeat of the season and Kiwi Joel Arscott seeing off Ponte's club champ Tom Bamford.

That set up a decider between Pontefract's Sam Todd, the former British Junior Open champion just returning from a two-year injury absence, and Simon Herbert, the world No.51 from Leicester. The quality was world class, with the first two games shared, before Todd waltzed the third and then edged a tough fourth to record a 11-5 9-11 11-2 13-11 victory and seal Pontefract's 14-7 win.

Hallamshire actually trimmed Pontefract's lead at the top to nine points with a resounding 20-0 win over a weakened Woodfield side. India's Tanishka Jain and England international Lucy Turmel made their Yorkshire League debuts and both won in three, with Welsh junior Oliver Jones, Hallamshire stalwart Adam Turner and former world No.1 Nick Matthew completing the home side's whitewash.

Harrogate move up to third, albeit 17 points behind second-placed Hallamshire, after a 20-3 victory over Dunnington. Thomas Simpson stepped up from Harrogate's second team to beat Ben Cross, Ross Kneller and Gabriel Cox won in straight games, Richard Hinds won a gruelling clash with Sam Gibbon and Chris Simpson completed the rout against his former club by toppling Pakistani Aamad Fareed.

Queens drop to fourth after a 17-8 defeat at newly-promoted Cleethorpes, who earn their second victory of the season and move up to seventh.

With former England coach David Campion delayed returning from a trip to Italy, Lukas Powell had to come in at No.5 for Queens and went down in three to Cleethorpes' John Zielinski. However, Queens' James Lynch won in four against Dave Ball soon afterwards to level matters.

Two matches later, the scores were levelled again as Harry Falconer won at No.2 for the hosts but former world No.15 Sarah Campion won a lengthy battle against Reece Newell 11-1 in the fifth after letting a two-game lead slip. The result therefore came down to the top-string battle which Wales's Elliot Morris-Devred took in four against Queens veteran James Earles.

Abbeydale, title winners in 2019/20, remain winless this season after a heavy 20-1 defeat at sixth-placed Ferriby Hall. The Humberside club recorded straight-games victories through Fiona Moverley, Yusef Forster, Guyana's Samuel Ince-Carvalhal and England international Ben Smith. Former England No.1 junior Ben Sockett was the only player to drop a game in beating Abbeydale's Ryan Spencer in four.