SLICK Stalybridge dealt a thumping Boxing Day body-blow to Hyde United's Blue Square North title ambitions by inflicting a shock 3-1 home defeat on their table-topping Tameside rivals.

Bridge never looked back after Alex Meechan and Chris Hall had put them two up inside 25 minutes and they were home and dry once Andrew Smart had added a third goal with 12 minutes left.

A late Steve Payne own goal provided scant consolation for Hyde, whose unexpected loss to their Bower Fold foes sees them slip from first to third.

Relegation-haunted Leigh RMI hoisted themselves off the bottom with a badly-needed 2-1 win over Workington at Hilton Park.

Chris Smyth stunned the visitors by giving Leigh a two-goal lead inside six minutes and they managed to hold on for victory after Workington had reduced the arrears.

Runaway UniBond premier pacesetters Witton Albion maintained their 10-point lead over second-placed Fleetwood with a hard-fought 2-1 triumph over struggling Ashton United at Wincham Park.

First division north leaders Curzon Ashton suffered a Christmas Day hangover as they were surprisingly thrashed 4-1 by visiting Ossett Albion.

But fellow promotion hopefuls FC United failed to take full advantage as they could only draw 1-1 at rock-bottom Radcliffe. Tweet