DAVE Walker was left disappointed after Ladybridge were unable to claim all three points against Hawcoat Park in Division One on Saturday.

Missing several players through injury and playing their first game of the year after four consecutive away postponements, the depleted third-placed outfit were denied victory after conceding an 85th minute equaliser.

Nathan Reid had given the visitors the lead in the 15th minute but second half goals from Ross Ellison and Sam Parkinson turned the game in Ladybridge's favour with 20 minutes to play.

However, the hosts, who had been looking to close the gap on the top two, were unable to hold on for victory when Reid scored his second of the game to give fifth-placed Hawcoat a share of the spoils.

"We felt disappointed not to take all three points but Hawcoat are a decent side," said the Ladybridge boss.

"We played very well and although we had to change the formation due to injuries and players missing, the shape looked very good and we kept the ball well.

"It was good to get back to playing after not playing a league fixture this year."

Ladybridge started the game well and took control of possession in the early stages with Hawcoat content to sit deep and get men behind the ball.

The first big chance fell to Aaron Thorpe after Parkinson's pull back but Thorpe's shot was superbly tipped over the bar by the keeper.

A defensive error allowed Hawcoat to take the lead when Ladybridge lost possession following a throw-in deep in their own half and Reid tucked the ball into the net.

Ladybridge continued to dominate possession as they looked for an equaliser and Mike McGinlay almost grabbed it when his solo effort brought another good save from the keeper.

The second half continued in the same vein with Ladybridge doing all the pressing and Hawcoat getting men behind the ball.

Parkinson had an opportunity to bring the scores level before the pressure finally told when Ellison scored from a set piece.

Ladybridge looked dangerous and got their reward when Parkinson smashed the ball home to give the hosts a deserved lead.

But with five minutes remaining, Hawcoat worked the ball to Reid who volleyed home from the edge of the box.

Ladybridge pushed on in search of the winner and Jordan Coop's header late on almost won it but it sailed narrowly wide.

Second-placed Turton failed to move to within a point of Division One leaders Burscough Richmond after they were held 1-1 by Haslingden St Mary's at Broadoak Campus.

?The Thomason Fold outfit, who are just three point behind the table-toppers with three games in hand, came from behind to take a point after Michael Saunders gave ninth-placed Haslingden the lead on 53 minutes. Dylan Winstanley equalised for Turton 12 minutes later but the visitors were unable to find the winner.

Although disappointed, boss Neil Johnson believes the point may yet prove a valuable one in Turton's quest to be crowned champions.

"To be honest a draw was probably a fair reflection of the game," said he said.

"Haslingden will feel that they should have been ahead at half time and we have Josh McGreavy to thank for three great saves. That said in the second half we had several opportunities to snatch the win but it wasn't to be.

"Haslingden are a very good side and their league position certainly doesn't do them justice.

"They have some excellent individuals but are also very well organised and have a real team togetherness.

"We knew how hard this game was going to be and so it proved. I can see them taking points off the other teams near the top of the table and come the end of the season we will hopefully look back and see this as a valuable point."

In an evenly-contested first period, it was Haslingden who came closest to scoring with McGreavy much the busier keeper as Turton could only muster a couple of half chances in a goalless first half.

A change of formation in the second period saw Turton begin to take the initiative but it was Haslingden who made the breakthrough on 53 minutes.

A long clearance from the keeper was headed up in the air and as the ball dropped a further header was attempted back to the keeper by a Turton defender.

However, this was anticipated by the experienced Saunders who reacted quickly to volley over the onrushing McGreavy and into the net.

Turton equalised on 65 minutes when Winstanley cut in from the left to score at the second attempt and had three gilt-edged chances to win the game in the final 10 minutes but they could not make the efforts count.

Tempest United's game at Askam United was postponed.

Despite taking the lead in the only game to survive the weather in the Premier Division, ten-man Eagley lost 3-1 at league leaders Fulwood Amateurs on Saturday.

For 60 minutes the Eagles were well in the game with Sam Knowles giving the 11th-placed visitors the lead five minutes into the second period.

But goals from Mitch Newsham, Ryan Dodd and Brad Fox sealed the victory for the hosts.

And in a match where the result did not portray the game, Eagley's assistant manager Scott Derbyshire was disappointed with the outcome.

"We worked really hard, and for 60 minutes we were on top of the game.

"If we had got the penalty and gone 2-0 up I think we would have won, but it wasn’t to be.

"But we came here to the league leaders and made them work which is a great positive and we could not have asked for more."

Eagley caused the home side problems from the start with Joe O’Keefe shooting just wide but Fulwood got themselves back into the game hitting the bar on two occasions.

Eagles centre-back Simon Neary was lucky to stay on the pitch after picking up a booking for a late challenge before being spared a second yellow card for another foul as the first half ended goalless.

A fine cross into the Fulwood box found the head of player/boss Simon Whaley on 50 minutes, who headed it down to the feet of Knowles, who fired home his first goal of the season.

The Eagles thought they should have had a penalty when Whaley was brought down in the area after being one-on-one with the keeper, but the referee waved away the protests.

Things went from bad to worse for the visitors when a tussle between Jack Horan and a Fulwood forward saw Horan dismissed for his second bookable offence.

The Eagley defence struggled to cope against a sharp Fulwood attack, and minutes later the pressure told when Newsham got the equaliser. Dodd then fired past Billy Worthington in the Eagley goal to give Fulwood the lead and in the dying minutes Fox nipped in to score the leaders' third goal of the game.

Despite their match at Swarthmoor Social being postponed due to the weather, Bolton County boss Mark Ormrod had a unique idea to keep his Division Two side match fit ahead of this weekend's derby at home to Stoneclough.

The County boss took his fifth-placed side to fitness club Body Influence in Bury for some football-based conditioning.

"I wanted to keep the players interested and fit so rather than taking them down to the artificial pitch at Burnden I thought it would be a bit different," said Ormrod.

"Paul Oldham is the personal trainer there and he used to play football for me before he set this project up.

"He's got different approaches for different sports and the football training gets you off the mark quicker and builds up your stamina.

"It was a really good session and he really put us through our paces.

"I'm hoping this will help us when we get back to league action because it's a big game for us on Saturday.

CMB's home game against Croston Sports and Stoneclough's trip to Furness Cavaliers were washed out.