AT the halfway point of the season the league tables are now beginning to take shape.

Ramsbottom A, who top the Premier Division table, look set to retain their title.

They are 15 points ahead of the five teams competing for second place who are separated by only three points.

At the bottom of the table the two promoted teams, Heaton A and Nomads A, look the most likely to be relegated.

Ramsbottom continued their winning ways with a 6-3 win at Radcliffe CC which featured three wins by Mike Moir.

Lindsey Reynolds and Paul Cicchelli trebled for Burning Desire in a 7-2 win against Nomads, as did Jake Shaw and Peter Pownall for Tameside who beat Heaton A 8-1.

Ramsbottom C and Burning Desire B, who are separated by one point, are the clear frontrunners to top Division One. They are 15 points ahead of Heaton B in third place.

At the bottom there are possibly five teams who could be involved in the relegation fight at the end of the season.

Three wins by Graham Young and Martin Holt, plus two by Tommy Ryan gave Ramsbottom an 8-1 victory over Wingates, while Burning Desire ran out 6-3 winners over Nomads B.

Hilton D and Little Lever C both scored 5-4 wins against Heaton B and Heaton C respectively.

Hilton C scored an 8-1 win over Heaton D with three wins by Dave Andrews and Allan Tomlinson and two by Ian Wheeldon.

In Division Two, Meadow Bank are top at this time, four points ahead of Ramsbottom D, who have a five-point advantage on Withins B in third spot.

At the bottom Hilton Tigers are entrenched in the last place with the possibility of one from two or three teams dropping into the bottom two.

Second bottom Farnworth SC A recorded an excellent 5-4 victory over top team Meadow Bank, with three wins by Iain Lindley and two by Gill Marsden, while Ramsbottom won 6-3 at Heaton E which featured a treble by Ray Kay.

Little Lever D beat Hilton F 5-4 with three wins by Mark Martin and two by Alan Lansdale.

Eric Shaw trebled plus two wins by Paul McCormick for Heaton F who beat Meadow Hill 5-4, and Hilton E beat Withins B by the same score.

BEN A ran out 7-2 winners at Hilton Tigers with Rod Hall their unbeaten player.

Division Three is a two team race with Ladybridge B and Coburg contesting the top spot.

Ladybridge C look to be struggling in bottom place with the three teams above them only separated by one point.

The Hilton G trio of Brian Young and juniors Tim and Matthew Field scored maximum points against Farnworth SC B.

Mike Audsley trebled for BEN B in their 6-3 win at Hilton H, as did Richard Whittleworth and Steve Kelsall for Walkden Meths who beat Hilton I 7-2.

Withins C recorded an 8-1 win at Ladybridge C which featured three wins by Liam McGreavy and Paul Spencer plus two by James Young.

Heaton H and St Paul’s Peel are the current top two in Division Four and would appear to be the two teams who will be contesting top place at the end of the season.

This week the Heaton team were beaten 5-4 by visitors Irlam Steel. They are one point ahead of St Paul’s who won at Hilton J by the same score.

David Yates was unbeaten for Irlam as was Mick Murray for St Paul’s. Stan Wilson trebled for Hilton K in their 7-2 victory against Lads & Girls Club and Heaton G won 8-1 at Hilton L.

Warburton Cup Second Round: Hilton B v Withins A +3; Heaton C v Coburg+3; Ramsbottom A v Hilton I +6; Hilton Tigers +3 v Heaton D; Little Lever A v Little lever D+4; Ladybridge A v Heaton E +2; Heaton A v Meadow Bank +3; Hilton F v Hilton L +4; Hilton E v BEN A scratch; Burning Desire B+2 v Hilton A; Nomads B+2 v Heaton B; Ramsbottom B v Meadow Hill A+4; Little Lever B v Tameside scratch; Burning Desire A v Irlam Steel+7; Nomads A+2 v Radcliffe CC; Hilton D v Ladybridge B +4.

TOP TEN Premier Division 30 M Moir; 24 L Reynolds; 23 R Pennington; 22 B Elliott, J Shaw; 21 G Payne; 20 G Jeffries; 19 A Jackson, J Bleakley; 17 B Crook.

Division One 27 S Barber, G Young; 25 K Chapman; 24 M Holt, B Armstrong, P Brandwood; 22 J Bradbury, L Davenport; 21 T Ryan; 20 S Wallis.

Division Two 26 M Martin; 22 T Eardley, S Jones; 19 P Jackson, M Dunn; 18 M Heaton; 17 P Pover, M Kitchen, E Shaw, P McCormick, R Hinchcliffe.

Division Three 27 B Bent; 26 B Greenhalgh; 24 J Hewitt; 21 A Hibbert, J Birchall, J Cole; 19 R Whittleworth; 18 T Fields; 17 B Young, S Kelsall.

Division Four 22 I Westmoreland; 21 A Meany, D Yates; 20 C Roberts; 19 E Mutebwa, 18 J Clough; 17 L Clough; 16 G Stone, M Hulton; 14 R McIntyre.

RESULTS Premier Division Hilton A 2 Burning Desire A 7; Radcliffe CC 3 Ramsbottom A 6; Burning Desire A 7 Nomads A 2; Tameside 8 Heaton A 1; Ramsbottom B 9 Hilton A 0.

Division One Ramsbottom C 8 Wingates 1; Burning Desire B 6 Nomads B 3; Hilton D 5 Heaton B 4; L Lever C 5 Heaton C 4; Hilton C 8 Heaton D 1.

Division Two Farnworth SC A 5 Meadow Bank 4; Heaton E 3 Ramsbottom D 6; L Lever D 5 Hilton F 4; Heaton F 5 Meadow Hill A 4; Hilton E 5 Withins B 4; Hilton Tigers 2 BEN A 7.

Division Three Ladybridge C 1 Withins C 8; Hilton H 3 BEN B 6; Hilton G 9 Farnworth SC B 0; Walkden Meths 7 Hilton I 2.

Division Four Hilton L 1 Heaton G 8; Heaton H 4 Irlam 5; Hilton J 4 St Paul’s Peel 5; Hilton K 7 Lads Club 2.