WELLINGTON Rangers held their nerve to beat off a spirited challenge from lowly Fownhope, running out 2-0 home winners to keep their Hereford Times Here-fordshire League Premier Division title challenge well on course.

Fownhope gave as good as they got in the first half and would have gone in all square at the break if Steve Winmill's penalty had not hit the crossbar.

Tom McLean had put the home side in front on the half-hour with a sweet strike from outside the area.

The visitors continued to work hard in the second half but were undone when Dave Price crossed the ball into the box for Kenny Styles to stab home from close range for Wellington's second goal.

Sutton United remain Wellington's main rivals for the championship crown after picking up two home wins inside three days. They beat Hinton 2-0 and then just about ended Woofferton's diminishing hopes with a 3-0 success.

Roy Jordan produced two terrific strikes from outside the penalty area to put United well in control at the break against Hinton. The two-goal cushion at the break allowed the home team to ease themselves through the second period.

The match against Woofferton was won in the second half, following a well-contested but goalless first period. Stuart New scored a second-half hat-trick to seal the win.

He put the home side in front with a fierce free-kick from outside the box in the early stages of the half, doubled his tally when he ran on to a ball chipped over the Woofferton defence and rounded off the day with a rare headed strike.

Woofferton's aspirations had already received a setback with a 5-3 midweek defeat at Kington Town, who are themselves finishing the season in good form.

The visitors played well in the first half, twice taking the lead through Gary Mowen and Chris Breakwell. James Williams, whose pace caused problems all night, kept the home side on level terms at the break with two well-taken goals.

Town produced perhaps their best performance of the season after the break. Two goals from Steve Potts gave them a 4-2 lead, the first a close-range header from a Paul Morgan cross, the second after being set free by Steve Mifflin.

Breakwell pulled a goal back, but Woofferton's Alan Hogg then conceded an own goal as the pace of Williams once again caused havoc.

Westfields retained their faint title hopes with a last-minute Rod Haslam goal in a 1-0 win at Bromyard Town Reserves.

The city side dominated the match throughout, but a mixture of committed defending by the home side, and some weak finishing kept the result in the balance. Richard Daw and Haslam both headed wide from dangerous in-swinging corners by Ian Morris.

The second half followed a similar pattern, Wes Owen and Sean McManus both being denied by the Town keeper.

With time running out and Westfields' title prospects about to be snuffed out, up popped centre-half Haslam to grab the winner. He rose to produce a firm header from Rob Chapman's deep cross to pinch the win.

Ewyas Harold recaptured some of their form as a scintillating second-half performance left them 7-1 winners at Fownhope.

Although not at their best in the first half, Harold held a 3-1 lead at the break, and went on to add four more goals in the second period.

Steve Radziejowski latched on to a Joe Taylor cross to break the deadlock midway through the first-half and Kevin Michael beat keeper Neil Marshall to a Mark Cooper cross for the second minutes later.

Matt Goodall pulled a goal back for a spirited Fownhope side, but a fierce Radziejowski free- kick restored the two-goal lead.

Cooper and Radziejowski laid on goals for each other to stretch the lead. Simon Pitt blasted a sixth from distance and Michael rounded off the day by scoring his second.

After a goalless first half, Lads Club found their shooting boots in the second half in both of their games last week. On Saturday they beat bottom side Weston 5-0 at Widemarsh Common.

After a first half where both sides showed plenty of endeavour without finding the back of the net, the home team clicked into gear after the break.

James Cutler headed them into the lead from a Josh Pugh corner and, five minutes later, Mike Olive doubled the advantage from a Ben Arnold corner.

Olive grabbed a second from a Dave Cope cross and completed his hat-trick when he tucked away the rebound after Josh Dallow had struck the woodwork. In between, Luke Darlington turned in Luke Wildig's cross.

Earlier in the week it was a similar story away to Bromyard Town Reserves, four second-half strikes giving Lads Club a 4-0 win.

Arnold and Wildig were sent on shortly after the resumption and their fresh legs soon influenced the outcome of the game. Arnold set up Matt Skinner for the first goal, then Cutler opened his account for the club when he swept home Darlington's free kick. John Buchanan broke clear and chipped the keeper to make it three, and Richard Jones rounded off the scoring with his first touch after coming on as substitute.

Ledbury Town Reserves caught home side Colwall Rangers napping with a goal within seconds of the start and went on to win the local derby fixture 2-1.

Dan Herbert received the ball from the kick-off and launched it from the halfway line to leave home keeper Adam McTear stranded.

Chris Stone struck the Town woodwork after five minutes as Colwall tried to make amends. Colwall settled down and edged the game territorially but without creating many chances. They were back on level terms before the break, James Dean firing home from the penalty spot after Jamie Gladwin was brought down inside the area.

The home team applied most of the pressure in the second half, but it was Town who took the points with a second goal.

A very young Leominster Town side gave a good account of themselves before going down 5-1 at home to Pegasus.

They stretched the visitors, hitting the woodwork and forcing the keeper to make good saves as well as taking the lead. In the end, the city side had too much fire power.