The weekend saw just 5 fixtures played due to a wave of bad weather. 3 Premier Division games went ahead, with 2 in the A Division. Chapel Town Firsts were unable to play Dronfield Woodhouse due to the weather, and Furness Vale were also forced into postponing their game with Tideswell United.
The first fixture allowed Buxworth Firsts a chance to move into 2nd place above rivals Hayfield Firsts. They would have to beat an in-form Bamford to do so however, a task that proved too much for all teams who have faced Bamford in the league since November 2024. Western Lane provided spectators with a tense battle, with Buxworth narrowly losing the fixture 3-2. Goals from MacKenzie Holdgate and Nicky Wood weren’t enough to steal any points, with Bamford looking to close in on Buxworth now the business end of the season has arrived.
Hayfield Firsts added to Buxworth’s misery, as they picked up their first league win of the new year, although bad weather has not given them a good enough chance to get more points onto the board. They welcomed Dronfield FC (Baslow) to Chapel Leisure Centre, and put on a 5* performance, beating them 5-0. George Howell, Elliot Brownsword and Jack Sidebottom were amongst the goals for Hayfield, with the victory leaving them just two points behind the Premier Division leaders Chapel Town Firsts. The title race is heating up and neutrals will be keeping a close eye on the battle for the ultimate prize within the league!
The 19th Hole hosted Dove Holes Firsts in the final Premier Division fixture of the day. Dove went into the fixture unbeaten in the league since October 2024, as well as a fantastic Derbyshire Cup run. The 19th Hole knew a near perfect performance was required if they wanted anything out of the game, but they fell just short with Dove taking home all 3 points, winning the game 4-3. Ben Bagshaw, Kieran Potter and a brace from Dan Gilbride secured the win for Dove, with Peter Richardson’s brace and another goal from Dan Iball not enough for the 19th Hole who provide Dove with a very tough test indeed.
The A Division saw Dove Holes Reserves take on Youlgrave United, with the Reserves looking to ensure that the weekend was a successful one for Dove Holes in it’s entirety after the first teams win. The clean sweep was confirmed emphatically as Dove won 7-0 to move into 2nd place, 1 point behind 1st placed Calver and with 2 games in hand. Rhys Chadwick opened the scoring, before Cole Hamilton got his first of the day. Billy Halsey made it 3 for Dove, before Cole Hamilton added a fourth and his second of the game. Ryan Bradd’s 33rd minute goal gave Dove a 5-0 lead at half time, before Cole Hamilton secured his hattrick and Jake Keeling finished the games goals with just over 10 minutes left to play.
The final fixture of the day gave Calver the opportunity to remain at the top for another week at least as they travelled to Hathersage. With Dove Holes Reserves hunting down the A Division crown, Calver knew that the fixture came with added pressures. As Alan Shearer famously stated, ‘pressure is for tyres’, as Calver rose to the occasion and took all 3 points alongside top spot with a 4-0 victory on the road. Rob Littlewood’s ten-minute brace gave Calver a 2-0 lead at the break, before Jake Casey and Oscar Dobson sealed the deal in the second half, capping a wonderful day for Calver.
The Cliff Ellis Memorial Trophy gets underway next week, which will see some A Division teams begin their journey through the tournament. As of right now, Joe Armstrong remains in top spot of the Premier Division golden boot race with 20 goals in just 10 appearances. Ryan Bradd remains top of the A Division golden boot table with 16 goals in 12 appearances, but Rob Littlewood of Calver is closely following him, with an identical 16 goals scored but in 14 appearances.