North Lancashire League: Caton close in on Premier Division title

The league leaders need just a point from their final game of the season against Trimpell and Bare Rangers on Wednesday night to make sure of the championship.

Caton moved a big step closer to their title triumph with a 2-1 win at home to Bentham on Saturday.

The hosts took a deserved lead on the quarter hour when Tommy Lund’s free-kick from the right wing was chested in by Nathan Jackson.

Caton increased the pressure and following good work by Liam Jeffreys they went into a 2-0 lead when Sam Kirkby scored after wriggling his way past three defenders.

Bentham scored the goal of the game on 56 minutes when Sam Lister collected the ball on the halfway line, ran 15 yards before volleying the ball into the net to make it 2-1.

Jackson then nearly restored Caton’s two-goal advantage but saw a header cleared off the line.

In an end-to-end contest Lee Marshall denied Bentham an equaliser with a good save with Lister unable to turn the rebound into the net.

Jackson should have wrapped the game late on but first headed wide before missing with the goal at his mercy in the 90th minute.

But it mattered not with Caton now on the verge of the title.

Cartmel, 2-0 winners over College AFC on Saturday thanks to two Matthew Burrows goals, are the only team who can deny Caton the title. 
That looks unlikely however with the Cumbrians relying on first a Caton defeat against Trimpell before then needing to win their final four games by 23 clear goals.

Last year’s double winners Carnforth Rangers saw their title challenge come unstuck at struggling Storeys.

Goals from Paul and Gareth Turner helped Storeys to a 2-1 win, their second victory over Rangers this season.