DALTON United put in their best display of the season so far on Easter Monday by beating third-placed Ladybridge 7-1 at Railway Meadow.

Gareth Jones scored a hat-trick and Frazer Shand netted twice with Andy Frazer and Joe Fidler also on target. Dalton are still bottom of the West Lancs Division One table but still have faint hope of a great escape.

Askam United edged out of the bottom two with a 1-1 draw at home to Tempest United thanks to a goal from Kyle Jefferson.

At the other end of the table Hawcoat Park’s promotion hopes are still intact after they beat Wyre Villa 2-1 and Burscough Richmond lost at Haslingden St Mary’s.

Scorers were Pat Allington and Nathan Reid, and Hawcoat face a derby at Dalton tomorrow before travelling to Burscough next Saturday in a crucial game.

Hawcoat player/manager Scott Ellis said “We are all looking at second place, three or four sides around us, and, looking at the fixtures, it is kind of in our hands. If we win all our games it looks mathematically like we come second.

“We have got some big games coming up – Burscough the week after and Tempest the week after that. Every game is a cup final as they say. It is nice to be in the chase at the end rather than nothing.”

Hawcoat will go to Dalton without the dangerous Elliott Moore after he pulled a hamstring, and they will be looking to Nathan Reid to supply the goals.

Ellis said ahead of the derby: “They had a cracking result on Monday and so their tails will be up. They are a good club and it is a shame to see them down there. Hopefully they will do well in every game – apart from us!”

The only game in Division Two saw Furness Rovers comfortably beat a poor Furness Cavaliers 2-0 through goals from Jack Cooksey and Liam Shields.

In the Premier Division Crooklands Casuals put in a hard working display at Coppull United but went down to a 1-0 defeat while Vickerstown ground out a 0-0 draw with leaders Fulwood Amateurs.

The midweek fixtures have started in the FPL and Vickerstown reserves have had a good week, going top of the Riflemans Garage table on goal difference with a 5-0 win over Furness Rovers reserves and progressing in the Terry Clinton Memorial Trophy by beating Holker Old Boys reserves 4-2.

Scott McDonald was the star of the show scoring four against Rovers and two against Holker.

Rovers had some consolation however as they progressed in the Paul Wilson Memorial Trophy with a 4-3 win over Walney Island reserves.

Hawcoat Park reserves and Holker Old Boys reserves shared the points in a 10-goal thriller on Wednesday, Hawcoat coming from 3-0 down after 30 minutes to earn a point as it ended 5-5.

GSK Ulverston Rangers reserves lost ground by losing 2-0 in their derby with Swarthmoor Social reserves. They will need an instant response tomorrow when they welcome Vickerstown reserves to Glaxo.

Kirkby United maintained their own challenge and dented Haverigg United’s hopes by winning 3-0 at Wilson Park. In the other games Furness Cavaliers reserves and Britannia drew 1-1 while Barrow Celtic beat Barrow Wanderers 4-2.

On Monday Croftlands Park beat Barrow Celtic reserves 9-3 in the Horne Cup with Matt Dean scoring four. Dean has now scored 100 goals for the club in less than two seasons.

Other scorers were Jamie Slater, 2, Martin Grundy, 2, and Mike Webster with Carl Pearson scoring his second hat-trick in three days for Celtic reserves.

There was a rare win for GSK Ulverston Rangers A in Premier Tiles Division One as they beat Barrow Wanderers reserves 2-1, and in Division Two Dalton United A won 3-1 at Kirkby United reserves.