HINDSFORD manager Barry Massey admits his players are finding it tough, mentally, to maintain their dominance of the Premier Division.

After completing a historic title treble, the Squires Lane men have struggled recently to hit the level of form that has seen them blaze a trail at the top of the division – a situation that was all-too-clear on Saturday when it took a last-gasp penalty to rescue a 3-3 draw away to bottom club East Manchester.

Hindsford now lie sixth in the table but still with games in hand on all of their rivals that, if they were to win them all, would put them in top spot. But Massey, who is currently without his two main strikers – the Valentine brothers Tom and Jack – who are both suspended, says he faces a challenge to keep his players focused on their quest for a fourth successive title.

“It’s getting hard work to keep them mentally in tune to winning the league,” he said. “That’s my main problem at the moment.”

Massey was not helped on Saturday by a row with one of his own players, midfielder Luke Sylvester, who was playing as emergency striker. Hindsford were leading through a Paul Dixon goal when Massey and Sylvester had a verbal altercation, which ended the player being substituted.

“We were 1-0 up at the time and coasting,” Massey said. “But after I took Luke off they scored two quick goals.

“In the end we were lucky because we were 3-2 down late on and got a penalty. I was relieved to get a point.”

Chris Hopwood, who earlier pulled it back to 2-2 led the rescue mission, following up after his spot-kick had been saved to score his second from the rebound.

Atherton Town are starting to look over their shoulders at the drop zone after a 4-1 defeat at Prestwich Heys left them fourth bottom with just a five-point lead over third-bottom Rochdale Sacred Heart.

The game was effectively over at half time with Heys leading 4-0, thanks to a Ryan McGreevy hat-trick, and although Hemsley Mills pulled one back in the second half, manager Shaun Lynch admitted: “ We were hammered in the first half and but for our keeper – 18-year-old Elliott Winstanley – it could have been even worse. We look a completely different side away from home than we do at our place.”

Leigh Athletic racked up their fifth win in a row – 1-0 at Wilmslow Albion – to go fourth in Division One.

Striker James Dooley settled it in the second half with a terrific curling shot into the top corner after being teed up when a free kick had cannoned back off the Albion wall.

Neighbours Pennington, who they meet in the League Cup at Leigh Sports Village on Saturday, were disappointed to come away from Beechfield United with a 1-1 draw.

The Jubilee Park men went 1-0 up through Kyle Giles after minutes and had a goal disallowed following a goalmouth scramble when the referee failed to spot the ball had crossed the line.

Beechfield equalised early in the second half, after which they had a man sent off but Pennington failed to take advantage of their extra man.

Breightmet United had to settle for a scoreless draw at Irlam Steel , despite dominating for long periods.

Skipper Carl Bancks looked to have claimed victory late on with a superb header that was kept out by a sensational save by the home keeper.