MARKLAND Hill A kept the pressure on reigning champions Bury A at the top of the Bolton League A Section.

The Bolton team are just two points behind Bury after both romped to victory in their latest outings.

Bury marched on with a 14-4 home win against Hawkshaw B when the leaders’ top couple, Nicki McGrath and Scott Webber, kept a clean sheet in the mixed doubles.

They extended their lead to 8-2 ahead after the mixed, when Nicki McGrath and Nicola Duerden put the match beyond Hawkshaw’s grasp with both top ladies’ games.

Hawkshaw added two men’s games to their tally, but the final score emphasised the gap between Bury and most of the other teams in the top division.

Markland Hill A kicked off the new year with an even more resounding 17-1 victory at visiting Oakgate A.

The home side’s top couple, Katrina McKeen and Simon Froud, pushed Markland Hill’s Wendy Higgin and Albert Mahoney before the visitors wrapped it up.

After this hiccup, Markland Hill stormed through the mixed games to clinch the points. They then took all but one of the men’s and ladies’ games, Oakgate’s Danny Lockey and Nyan Min taking one of the last men’s games for a 17-1 scoreline.

Forrest D retained their domination of C Section with a 15-3 win against Smithills A, and Moorside B kept up their promotion hopes with an 18-0 whitewash of DL Farnworth D.

But Moorside will have their work cut out to prevent unbeaten Westhoughton C, made up of some of the former Chowbent club players, from winning the league.