With Pontefract having sewn up the title last week, attention turned to the relegation battle in the Yorkshire Premier League — and Abbeydale's survival chances sustained a huge blow.

On the penultimate match night of the season, the 2019/20 champions had the misfortune to visit a Pontefract side who were in celebratory mood and had lost just once in 17 games this campaign. The Sheffield club were whitewashed 20-0 and will have been horrified at the news that both their relegation rivals, Cleethorpes and Woodfield, picked up vital victories.

Pontefract's Chester Dockray maintained his remarkable 100% record with yet another straight-games victory (his 11th in 12 matches) and Conor Sheen also recorded his sixth 3/0 win of the campaign. Adam Taylor, skipper Matt Godson and Scottish international Rory Stewart continued the procession further up the order.

There is an eight-point gap between Abbeydale and Cleethorpes, who leapfrogged aboved the dreaded dotted line by virtue of Wednesday night's incredible 16-8 victory at second-placed Hallamshire.

Cleethorpes' no.5 Oscar Hill and no.3 Toby Ponting put in heroic performances to win very tight four-game clashes against Nick Wall Snr and Oliver Jones respectively. No.4 Harry Falconer had a slightly easier task in beating Jack Cornell in straight games.

That wrapped up the victory and vital five bonus points for the Lincolnshire side. Their top two then came up against Hallamshire's formidable duo of world no.47 Nick Wall and three-time world champion Nick Matthew, but Sanjay Jeeva and Elliot Morris Devred claimed a valuable point apiece in both losing 3/1.

Woodfield also claimed a massive victory to move 19 points clear of danger. Their handsome 17-3 home triumph over Queens means they only need two points in next week's final match of the season against Abbeydale to secure safety. Cleethorpes host Doncaster in their final match next Friday (28 March) and must avoid a nine-point swing in Abbeydale's direction to ensure survival.

Woodfield's top four all won in straight games, including the returning world no.26 Declan James. Don Calvert carded Queens' only points at no.5 by defeating young Charlie Waller.

Last year's champions Doncaster are now 20 points above the bottom position and mathematically safe as they are guaranteed to finish above Abbeydale or Woodfield, who meet each other on the final day.

Doncaster's safety was secured by a 16-7 home victory over fourth-placed Dunnington thanks to a four-game win for Aussie David Turner over Jamie Brown and brisk victories for Kiwi Joel Arscott and world no.51 Simon Herbert at the top of the order. Taminder Gata Aura and Joseph Twigge had put Dunningon into an early lead, but it was soon overturned.

Wednesday night's other fixture saw Ferriby Hall move into a healthy fifth position by defeating third-placed Harrogate 17-7. The hosts' lower order of Glyn Saunders, Yusef Forster and Ben Sockett laid the groundwork, Chris Simpson posted a consolation for the Straysiders, but England international Ben Smith put the cherry on the cake with a five-set cracker against New Zealand national champion Lwamba Chileshe.