SEEDFIELD Sports Club's Bolton Combination Premier Division title hopes received a massive setback with a shattering 2-1 defeat at Walkden.

Adam Preston opened the scoring for the home side on 16 minutes and that's how it remained until half time.

Paul Stoney equalised in the first minute after the interval and the Bury side looked set to go on and take all three points.

Walkden would have none of it and Greg Marshall smacked in a winner on 61 minutes setting up a barn-storming last half hour that saw that lead superbly defended.

The result was good news for leaders Hindsford who were without a fixture on Saturday. The lead at the top is now two points with Seedfield having a game in hand but appearing to have lost the form that saw them unbeaten through the first half of the season.

At the other end of the table Blackrod Town look consigned to occupy the bottom berth throughout the campaign and crashed to an 8-1 home defeat by neighbours British Aerospace.

Bolton came out on top over Kersal in a battle of the two Lads Clubs, with a 5-4 scoreline settling an entertaining struggle. Atherton C&N's recent top form came to and end in a shock 2-1 home defeat by Ainsworth.

Division One saw a meeting of the top two with leaders Little Lever coming out on top in a 2-1 win over Adlington Athletic.

The club's lead at the top is five points but Latics have two games in hand in which to make up that difference.

The title race could have been over and done with by now but failure to meet basic league administrative standards earlier in the season saw Little Lever docked a massive four points.

Undeterred, the club has continued to flaunt league rules and again at the weekend showed scant regard for the efforts of league officials by not phoning in match details. Another hefty fine is to be levied an the Meadow Close Club.

Stoneclough, surprisingly, went down 3-1 to the second team of the club they must meet in the final of the Bolton Evening News Open Cup, Hindley Green.

Paul Davies converted an 80th minute penalty but it was little more than a token gesture after two goals from Mick Byron (50 and 73 minutes) and one from Gary Smith on the hour had already put the game beyond reach.

Sizer, Brown and Bowen earned Howe Bridge Mills a 3-0 win at bottom club Monton Amateurs while neighbours Atherton won 4-2 at Turton.

Bagulin and Chadwick earned Kersley Vale a 2-1 win at Tottington United, Grimes replying for the home side. Tyldesley United and Mitchell Shackleton shared the spoils in 1-1 draw.

The Second Division saw Howe Bridge Mills Reserves beat Edbro Farnworth 2-1.

TyIdesley United have had to disband their Reserves side and their Second Division record for the season has been expunged. Unfortunately this has hit Ainsworth Reserves quite hard as two wins and six points have now been lost and hopes of the runners-up slot have disappeared.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.