Yorkshire Premier Squash League: Dunnington edge ahead of Doncaster in race for top spot

Doncaster travelled to Pontefract riding high after five wins out of six, but the late introduction of world No 25 Patrick Rooney to the home side's line-up proved crucial as he capped an 18-5 victory.

Pontefract club captain Matt Godson got the hosts off to a flying start with a straight-games win, while their new signing, Egyptian Omar El Torkey, inflicted a similar outcome on Toby Ponting.

Although ex-Ponte player Lewis Doughty got one back for Doncaster, Pontefract's top order completed the job. Elijah Thomas beat fellow Kiwi Joel Arscott at second string and Rooney won a four-game cracker against the up-and-coming Simon Herbert.

Dunnington took advantage with a routine victory against bottom-of-the-table Ferriby Hall to extend the Humberside club's winless start. It was all over quite rapidly after Matthew Stephenson, Michael Andrews, Kuwaiti Seif Heikal and Pakistani Amaad Fareed dropped just one game between them.

No.1 Chris Simpson would have liked to apply the coup de gras but he was involved in a real leg-burner with youngster Ben Smith from Grimsby who took it in four close games to at least reduce Dunnington's margin of victory to 18-4.

Queens, the 2022 champions, remain in third place despite a surprise 16-7 defeat to Abbeydale – just the Sheffield side's second victory of the campaign.

Queens got wins on the board thanks to Kuwait's Bader Almaghrebi and Northern Irishman Stephen Hearst, but Hayden Tetley and Jordan Hardwick landed blows for the hosts, setting up a tasy top-string decider between Wales' Elliot Morris Devred and former British Junior Open champion Finnlay Withington. Morris-Devred took it with perhaps surprising ease 11/8 11/4 11/2.

Defending champions Hallamshire won their third match in a row after an iffy start to the season but remain in sixth spot and on the fringes of title contention.

Although Jack Cooper landed an early blow for visitors Pontefract 2 with a five-game thriller against Jack Cornell, Hallamshire asserted control as their middle order of Matt Gregory, Adam Turner and Nick Matthew all won briskly.

At top string, New Zealand's Commonwealth Games team member Temwa Chileshe recovered from losing the first game against Rhys Evans to hit back and win in four, sealing a 19-4 home win for the Sheffield club.

Harrogate are just above Hallamshire in fifth place but they fell to a home defeat against second-from-bottom Woodfield this week.

Birmingham 2022 doubles gold medallist Declan James was a handy addition to the Woodfield line-up as the match result all came down to the England international against Harrogate's Lwamba Chileshe at top string.

Alec Fuller and Declan Christie picked up wins for the hosts but Woodfield's Ray Nevin and Adam Al Shazly levelled matters.

Former world No 15 James – recently back from a long injury break due to a ruptured Achilles – settled the contest with an 11-8 11-8 11-9 triumph.