Worksop Town continue climb up NCEL table

First-half goals by Craig Mitchell and Matthew Sykes earned a 2-0 win at eighth-placed Maltby Main to continue the Tigers’ rise up the Northern Counties East League Premier Division table.

Three days after a cup win at Maltby, Denton was happy to complete a notable double that left the Tigers off the leaders with two matches in hand.

“We said we just need to concentrate on our own performances and it has paid off,” he said. “We killed the game off in the first half. Every player showed lots of commitment and desire.

“I am so proud of the lads and to see the fans clapping them off was lovely to see and I am absolutely delighted.”

Mitchell broke the deadlock in the 29th minute, bundling home Lee Hill’s ball into the middle.

They were fortunate to survive when a home cross by Sam Forster bounced off the bar.

But on the stroke of half-time Sykes doubled the visitors’ advantage, latching on to Steve Wolley’s ball over the top and smashing into the bottom corner.

A good block by keeper Matt Reay preserved the advantage at the start of the second half.

Denton was also full of praise for Sykes after he took his tally to eight goals in five matches.

“He has got bags of ability,” said Denton. “You get quality on the ball and he is a hardworker who listens and tries to do the best for the side.

“He has quality in and around the final third and I have not seen a better finisher at this level.”

Captain Danny Patterson, playing against his old club, said: “Maltby are a good side but we’ve done the job on them twice now and we’ve deserved it. We have been the better of the two sides.

“We could have had three or four goals in the second-half, but we’ve done what we needed to and got three points.”

“The league has been open all season and everyone seems like they can beat anybody. We just need to keep winning and take it a game at a time, don’t think about anybody else and make sure we get three points.”