SECOND Division high-flyers Horwich St Mary’s marched on in the Sam Ashworth Trophy with a 5-2 victory over Third Division Royal Farnworth in their delayed quarter-final.

Michael Cowburn scored a hat-trick while Paul Yates and Jason Clarke notched one each.

After losing their league match last week, Atherton Town avoided a repeat performance in their Division Four Cup game on Sunday.

They beat Deans Youth and Ladies 5-1 thanks to a Peter Carson double and one each by Martin Jordan, Ste Marsh and Mark Breatherton.

Ste Lockett, last week’s hat-trick hero for Deans, was restricted to just one goal in this game.

In the league, Bar Lane Bowling Club drew level with AFC Dobbies A on seven points in Division One, thanks to strikes by Leon Hamilton and Ste Price while keeping a clean sheet.

Radcliffe Vets A started the day four points below opponents Queen Lizzy, but narrowed the gap with a 5-2 win on what is the home ground for both teams.

Dave Mallius scored twice and Mark Westhead, Mark Ayres and Jon Robinson added one each for Radcliffe, with Lee Whiteley and Arron McCarthy on target for Queen Lizzy.

In Division Two, it was one-way traffic at Old Bolts as they trounced AFC Dobbies B.

Stewart Williams and Ric McClellan both scored two, while Paul Berry, Will Tatlow and Morgan Barlow contributed one each to give Old Bolts a 7-0 win which puts them joint second in the table, but they have played two more games than Horwich St Mary’s.

Bottom side Home Guard Failsworth Vets picked up their second point of the season in a 2-2 draw with second-bottom Radcliffe Town who could rise much higher because they have games in hand.

Paul Lewis and Andy Yeomans scored for the home side but Philip Edgehill and Paul Hoey were on target for Radcliffe to share the points.

Mark Owen and Ste Duckworth scored for Radcliffe Old Boys B at home to Bolton Wyresdale, while Neil Davies and Jason Knowles did likewise for the visitors in their Division Three encounter.

But Radcliffe took the three points courtesy of Wyresdale scoring an own goal and stay top of the division, four points clear of Gidlow Athletic who won 4-2 at home to Tavern.

Martin Meehan (2), Warren Collier and Dave Eyer scored for Gidlow with Ian Teasdale and John Coogan getting the visitors' goals.

The Lever Arms still have just one point following a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Moss Bank for whom Phil Barrow and Mark Blackshaw scored.

Division Four leaders Ainsworth scraped a 2-1 home victory over lowly Unity Brook.

Goals by Danny Coyle and Michael Jefferson kept Ainsworth on top with Rob Johnson scoring for Unity.

Heaton Casuals kept the pressure on the leaders with a comfortable 6-2 win against PF Bury.

Although Noel Coleman and Paul Holly scored for the visitors, a Clint McLoughlin hat-trick, Kieron Seals brace and Damien Smith single gave Heaton the three points.

Wigan Town edged their home game against bottom side Tottington United. Glenn Muddiman and Brian Marsden scored for Wigan while Carl Schofield scored for Tottington to keep the game tight.

Results

Sam Ashworth quarter-final: Horwich St Mary’s 5 Royal Farnworth 2.

Division Four A Cup: Atherton Town 5 Deans Youth and Ladies 1.

League

Division One: Bar Lane Bowling Club 2 AFC Dobbies A 0, Radcliffe Vets A 5 Queen Lizzy 2.

Division Two: Old Bolts 7 AFC Dobbies B 0, Home Guard Failsworth Vets 2 Radcliffe Town Vets 2.

Division Three: Radcliffe Old Boys B 3 Bolton Wyresdale 2, Gidlow Athletic 4 Tavern 2, Lever Arms 1 Moss Bank 2.

Division Four: Ainsworth 2 Unity Brook 1, Heaton Casuals 6 PF Bury 2, Wigan Town 2 Tottington United 1.