THE meeting of the top two teams in the Premier Division turned out to be a damp squib. Champions Ramsbottom A proved too strong for the under strength Tameside who they beat 7-2 and moved to the top with a three point advantage, Mark Ramsbottom winning his three sets.

Trebles by Adam Bleakley for Farnworth, Glen Payne for Wharton, and Larry Bainbridge for Ramsbottom B, helped their teams win 5-4.

Carlton maintained top spot in Division One with a 6-3 win at their nearest rivals Hilton B, which included a treble by Kevin Chapman. Nomads A kept up their challenge winning a hard fought match 6-3 against Chorley Old Road, with Craig Johnson winning his three sets, and Richard Simmons and Roy Costello both trebled for Little Lever B who beat Wharton 7-2.

Little Lever C join Ramsbottom C on top of Division Two following their 7-2 win over Nomads B, while Ramsbottom went down 5-4 at Heaton D, trebles by Keith Mills, Ian Lansdale and Derrick Buckley. Three excellent wins by Duncan Kay decided Egerton Park's 5-4 win at Hilton C. Trebles also came the way of Bob Broughton Halliwell Meths and Mike Audsley BEN A.

Top team in Division Three Hilton F only just managed to maintain their unbeaten record with a 5-4 win over their H which gives them a 12 point advantage over Meadow Hill A in second place. Phil Noden and Steve Jones scored three wins apiece for Meadow Hill in their 8-1 victory over Hilton D. Trebles for Brian Hardman Little Lever, Alan Crompton and Glen Roberts Heaton E and Roger Bolton Hilton G in their respective matches.

Hilton I beat Division Four leaders YMCA 8-1 to move into second place having played two matches less, trebles here for Lee Davenport and Steve Roz. Hilton J ran out 8-1 winners at Ladybridge F with three wins apiece for Eamon McEntree and Mike Roberts. John Birchall Snr trebled for Ladybridge E who won 5-4 at Jubilee as did Mark Greenhalgh for Heaton F who won 6-3 at Hilton K.

RESULTS: Premier Division: Rams A 7 H/Tameside 2; Hilton A 5 Rams B 5; L/Lever A 4 Farnworth 5; Wharton 5 Lostock 4.

Division One: Hilton B 3 Carlton 6; Nomads 6 Chorley Old Road 3; L/Lever B 7 Wharton B 2.

Division Two: L/Lever C 8 Nomads B 1; Heaton D 5 Rams C 4; Hilton C 4 Egerton Park 5; Halliwell Rd Meths 3 Rushtons 6; BEN A 7 L/bridge B 2; Heaton C 4 Halls 5.

Division Three: Hilton H 4 Hilton F 5; M/Hill A 8 Hilton D 1; Ellesmere 2 L/Lever D 7; Heaton E 8 M/Hill B 1; Farnworth B 2 Hilton G 7.

Division Four: Hilton I 8 YMCA 1; L/bridge F 1 Hilton J 8; Jubilee 4 L/bridge E 5; Hilton K 3 Heaton F 6.

TOP TEN: Premier Division: 14 A Bleakley, M Ramsbottom, M Moir; 13 D Meredith.

Division One: 17 K Chapman; 13 C Boardman; 12 D Hadfield, J Scowcroft, G Phoenix, R Simmons.

Division Two: 19 D Buckley; 17 G Hall, I Lansdale, S Barber; 15 D Kay, M Audsley.

Division Three: 17 C Bradbury, A Crompton; 16 P Noden; 14 B Hall.

Division Four: 14 L Davenport, M Greenhalgh; 13 P Yates, G Wilkinson.

TOP TEN: Premier Division: 14 A Bleakley, M Ramsbottom, M Moir; 13 D Meredith; 12 A Jackson; 11 S Stringer; 10 J Chadwick, R Durose; 8 P Biggs, J Hope, R Pennington.

Division One: 17 K Chapman; 13 C Boardman; 12 D Hadfield, J Scowcroft, G Phoenix, R Simmons; 11 P Branwood; 10 D Collier; 9 K Orton, S Williams, J Howarth.

Division Two: 19 D Buckley; 17 G Hall, I Lansdale, S Barber; 15 D Kay, M Audsley; 14 G Rushton; 13 C Higson; 12 P McCormick; 11 B Dobbins, C Higson.

Division Three: 17 C Bradbury, A Crompton; 16 P Noden; 14 B Hall; 13 M Martin, J Taylor, D Tobin; 12 J Birchall, C Thornley, K Chauha.

Division Four: 14 L Davenport, M Greenhalgh; 13 P Yates, G Wilkinson; 12 J Birchall Snr, J Pilkington, S Roz; 11 D Lomax.

PREMIER DIVISION

P W D L F A Pt

Ramsbottom A... 6 6 0 0 42 12 42

Hilton Tameside... 6 4 0 2 39 15 39

Farnworth SC A... 6 4 0 2 33 21 33

Lostock... 7 2 0 5 28 35 28

Little Lever A... 5 3 0 2 24 21 24

Cricketers... 5 2 0 3 21 24 21

Ramsbottom B... 6 4 0 2 21 33 21

Hilton A... 4 2 0 2 20 16 20

Wharton A... 4 1 0 3 14 22 14

Horwich Hilton... 4 1 0 3 13 23 13

Mosses A... 5 0 0 5 6 39 6

DIVISION ONE

Carlton... 7 6 0 1 39 24 39

Hilton B... 6 3 0 3 33 21 33

Nomads A... 6 4 0 2 31 23 31

Wharton B... 6 4 0 2 28 26 28

Mosses B... 5 3 0 2 24 21 24

Little Lever B... 7 1 0 6 24 39 24

Chorley Old Road... 5 3 0 2 23 22 23

Ladybridge A... 5 3 0 2 23 22 23

Heaton A... 5 1 0 4 18 27 18

Wingates A... 4 1 0 3 16 20 16

Heaton B... 4 1 0 3 11 25 11

DIVISION TWO

Little Lever C... 6 5 0 1 37 17 37

Ramsbottom C... 7 4 0 3 37 26 37

Heaton D... 7 5 0 2 36 27 36

Heaton C... 6 5 0 1 35 19 35

BEN A... 7 3 0 4 35 28 35

Egerton Park... 7 3 0 4 31 32 31

Halls... 6 4 0 2 30 24 30

Ladybridge B... 7 4 0 3 29 34 29

Nomads B... 6 2 0 4 24 30 24

Halliwell Meths... 7 2 0 5 22 41 22

Rushtons... 7 2 0 5 21 42 21

Hilton C... 5 0 0 5 14 31 14

DIVISION THREE

Hilton F... 7 7 0 0 48 15 48

Meadow Hill A... 6 5 0 1 36 18 36

Little Lever D... 6 5 0 1 35 19 35

Heaton E... 7 3 0 4 34 29 34

Hilton G... 7 4 0 3 33 30 33

Hilton D... 7 2 0 5 31 32 31

Ramsbottom D... 6 4 0 2 30 24 30

Ladybridge D... 5 4 0 1 29 16 29

Hilton E... 6 3 0 3 28 26 28

Ladybridge C... 6 3 0 3 28 26 28

Hilton H... 7 2 0 5 24 39 24

Meadow Hill B... 6 1 0 5 17 37 17

Ellesmere A... 7 0 0 7 11 52 11

Farnworth SC B... 3 0 0 3 3 24 3

DIVISION FOUR

Bolton YMCA... 7 4 0 3 38 25 38

Hilton I... 5 5 0 0 36 9 36

Heaton F... 5 5 0 0 33 12 33

Hilton K... 6 4 0 2 30 24 30

Hilton J... 4 3 0 1 26 10 26

BEN B... 5 3 0 2 26 19 26

Heaton G... 6 3 0 3 23 31 23

Ladybridge E... 5 3 0 2 22 23 22

Hilton L... 6 2 0 4 22 32 22

Jubilee... 6 2 0 4 20 34 20

Meadow Hill C... 5 2 0 3 19 26 19

Ladybridge F... 7 0 0 7 19 44 19

Ellesmere B... 5 0 0 5 10 35 10