THE cup competitions took centre stage with the Sam Ashworth Trophy quarter-finals being played along with the semi-finals of the divisional cups.

The Cross Keys booked their semi-final spot after thrashing the Quadrant 7-0, with Steve Brown scoring five goals in a match which showed the gulf between First and Third Division football.

Garswood United also booked their place in the semis with a 4-0 win over Turton, with Gary Bickerstaff scoring two and Brian Hateley coming off the bench to score the other two.

Dobbies B join them in the next round after edging a tight match on penalties against the Fox & Stork. The match finished 1-1 after extra time, and Dobbies ability to score the penalties saw them through to the semi final draw.

In the Division Two Cup, the Lord Raglan thrashed Ainsworth Fossils 5-0 in a one-sided match with Tony Whiteley bagging a hat-trick, and they now play Park Wanderers in the final.

The Lord Raglan are just a couple of games away from a league and cup double, which will have seen them rise from the Third to First Division in two years.

Horwich Town won through to the final of the Division Three Cup, beating Lever Bridge 2-1 in the semi-final, although the score does not reflect their dominance of the game as they hit the post and bar at least six times.

They now play Bolton Wyresdale in the final and Horwich Town are still on course for a league and cup double.

In the league games, Colliers Rest and Dobbies A fought out a 1-1 draw, which does nothing for Dobbies but could of ensured First Division survival for Colliers Rest.

In Division Two, the Bay Mare Strollers beat the Newmarket 1-0 at home thanks to a hotly disputed penalty in the first 15 minutes. The result moves them to within a point of second placed Dobbies C, and with both teams playing each other next week it may decide the runners-up spot.

In the Third Division, Breightmet United and Bolton Wyresdale fought out a 1-1 draw which leaves them both in the bottom four trying to avoid the wooden spoon.