RIVINGTON and Old Bolts shared the spoils in a 2-2 Premier Division stalemate.

A scrappy first half saw Rivs get the opener through Chris Tonge only for Bolts to hit back through Ged McGreavey's diving header and take a 2-1 interval lead through Simon Shields.

Richard Collier got Rivs' equaliser on 55 minutes with a ricochet. Bolts full back Ian Butterworth was sent off for a second bookable offence and Rivs almost took all three points when Craig Walkden hit a post and man of the match Tonge's 80th minute shot was somehow cleared off the line by a Bolts defender. Full back Paul Rouke was Bolts' star man.

Bolton County held a 3-1 lead on 75 minutes at reigning champions Highfield but eventually had to settle for a 3-3 draw. Unbeaten in the opening six games County gave the title-holders a real scare. Man of the match Peter Crompton got the first two, the second of which saw him beat two men on the halfway line and spot the keeper off his line, with Jamie McDonald getting the third.

A seesaw game saw Bury GSOB go down 4-3 at home to Old Blackburnians. Andy Myers bagged two and Ian Riggs one with 17 year old striker Will Purser named man of the match.

In Division One as Little Lever were winning 3-0 at Roch Valley, big rivals Radcliffe Amateurs were giving Sladians a 6-1 caning. The Ammies goals came from man of the match Kevin Holbrook with four and one each from Rick Stevens and Mark Westhead. Paul Johnson got the consolation for the losers with Anthony Rawlinson named as best player.

Horwich RMI revelled on one of the best playing surfaces in the league at Broughton Amateurs to record a fine 3-1 away victory. Chris Williams got the opener and was fouled for Nathan Smith to get the second from the penalty spot. Andrew Dewitt got the third on 80 minutes with Williams named man of the match. Martin Warburton scored for Thornleigh in a 3-1 home defeat by Oldham Hulmeians.

In Division Two Rick Naden got both goals for Bury Amateurs in a 2-0 home win over Wyresdale but it was keeper Peter Lomas who was as much the match winner. Two goals from Marc Dunne on 5 and 25 minutes and one from Neil Ross on 85 minutes gave Ainsworth a 3-1 home win over Hayward.

A much improved performance from his team gave Ambassadors player/manager Simon Murphy heart after recent showings and they could count themselves unlucky to go down 3-2 at Walkden. Damian Smith gave Ambassadors an early lead against the run of play. Walkden levelled before the break only for dead ball specialist Adi Wolstenholme to make it 2-1 almost immediately after the resumption. The home side piled on the pressure, equalised then got a winner on 81 minutes. Ambassadors midfielder Steve Lees was named man of the match.

Reserves

Ainsworth - 2nds won 5-4 at Hesketh (Keith Hall 2, Mick Jefferson, Pat Filio, Andy Cornmell - won all three opening games)

Bolton County - 2nds lost 7-3 to Radcliffe Ams, 3rds lost 4-0

Bury Ams - 2nds won 2-1 at Horwich RMI (Rob Beaver, Andrew Fox)

Bury GSOB - 2nds won 8-1 at Chads (Brad Whatmough 3, Dave Holland 4, Carl Smith), 3rds drew 2-2 with Oldham, 4ths lost 5-1

Horwich RMI - 2nds lost 2-1 to Bury, 3rds lost 5-0 to Old Bolts

Radcliffe Ams - 2nds beat Bolton County 7-3 (Martin Silvester 4 mom, Jamie Baldwin, Neil Smethurst, Russ Lord), 2nds won 1-0 at Broughton (Mark Crowther - mom - Kenny Walker)

Rivington - 1st win of season 1-0 at Rochdale (Peter Woof)

Sladians - 2nds won 3-0, 3rds won 11-2

Thornleigh - 2nds lost 3-2 at Acc Ams (Simon Phillips, Dave Carroll), 3rds won 5-3 at Walshaw (Paul Davies 2, Mark Ashton 2, Steve Dearden), 4ths lost 5-1 home to Acc Ams (Gwyn Davenport)