GOALS rained in for Grimshaw Park when they recorded an amazing 27-1 victory over a shellshocked Blackburn Olympic Reserves in the Blackburn and District Football Combination.

David Bates and Martin Fish each scored five, and the tally included hat-tricks for Lee Parker, Colin Duckworth, Andy Preston and Mark Johnson.

Rishton, who have made their best start for some time in the Colborne Trophies Premier Division - dropping just one point from their opening five games - recorded another away victory, this time over Old Toll Bar by a convincing 3-0 scoreline.

Griffin have dropped three points from the same number of games and Ewood are likely to drop even further behind as they have LFA Hollands Amateur Challenge Shield commitments on Saturday - the first time they have entered this competition.

Despite the heavy rainfall of last week, only five games had to be called off and all council-controlled pitches were declared fit to play.

One other postponement was that of Ewood Amateurs in the Premier Division, because of commitments to the Inter League game away to Leigh and District Amateur Football League. This has caused them to drop behind Rishton, and Griffin Celtic who also won.

Manxman, following their defeat of Centurions, have moved into fourth place, level on points and goal difference with West End who defeated Bee Hive, and Toll Bar who lost to Rishton.

Anchor Hotel and New Gardeners in the Hi-Tech Replacement Windows Second Division are on course to gain promotion for the fourth consecutive season. They are certainly going to be difficult sides to beat and their goalscoring power is awesome.

Blackburn United conceded 11 goals in their game with New Gardeners, while Anchor Hotel put seven past Clarence FC. Whitehall Top Con, after five games, are still looking for their first point of the season. At this early stage Langho could pose the biggest threat to the two leaders, having dropped just one point from four games. Ivy Hotel could well be in the frame as a contender later on in the season.

In the Third Division Darwen Subs have already opened up a four-point lead with maximum points from five games and with most teams in this division having played the same number of games as the Subs, this is a substantial lead. Second placed Brinscall however, with two games in hand, could come level. Blackburn Olympic are riding high in the early stages along with newly promoted Railway Hotel Darwen and Crown Berger Res who came up after finishing second in the Fourth Division last season are not looking as impressive this season. Also in the Fourth Division, newcomers Hordens FC are setting the early pace with five wins in five starts. Centurions B looked good in their first two games, but have slipped with one defeat and a draw with St Matthew's Res this week. Even so, they keep hold of second place.

In the North West Inter League Alliance Group One, the Combination side defeated Leigh 5-1. The other two games in this group are St Helens away and Wigan at home. Results - Premier Division: Centurions 1, Manxman 4; Griffin Celtic 6, Crown Berger 0; Old Toll Bar 0, Rishton 3; West End CYC 4, Bee Hive 2.

Division Two: Anchor Hotel 7, Clarence 3; Ivy Hotel 4, St Matthew's 2; New Gardeners 11, Blackburn United 1; Whitehall Top Con 2, Pleasington 6.

Division Three: Bangor Old Boys 3, Worth Avenue 0; Blackburn Olympic 4, Railway Hotel Darwen 2; Darwen Subs 6, Blackburn YMCA 1; Pleasington Res 1, Athletico Mellor 2.

Division Four: Lord Raglan 7, Brinscall Res 1; Grimshaw Park 27, Blackburn Olympic Res 1; Pleasington C 2, Rishton C 3; Preston New Road FC 0, Horden 1; St Matthew's Res 2, Centurions B 2.

North West Inter League Alliance Group One: Blackburn Combination 5, Leigh and District Amateur League 1.

Fixtures for Saturday (kick off 2.15pm) - Premier Division: Bee Hive v Griffin Celtic (P12); Crown Berger v Old Toll Bar; Railway Hotel v Centurions (Blacksnape); Rishton v St Mary's COB.

Division Two: Blackburn Utd v Langho (P1); Clarence v Ivy Hotel; Marley's Wine Bar v Anchor Hotel (P2); New Gardeners v Pleasington (P3); St Matthew's v Whitehall Top Con (P4); Witton Alb v Rishton Res.

Division Three: Alex Hotel Res v Bangor Old Boys (P5); Blackburn YMCA v Blackburn Olympic; Blue Star v Pleasington Res (Pleckgate 1); Railway Hotel Darwen v Crown Berger Res (Pleckgate 2).

Neales Waste Management Fourth Division: Blackburn Olympic Res v Preston New Road (P8); Centurions B v Pleasington C; Brinscall Res v Forests Arms; Hordens v St Matthew's Res (P10); Lord Ralgna v Grimshaw Park (P11).

LFA Hollands Amateur Challenge Shield (first round): Alexandra Hotel v Walkden AFC (P9); Ewood Amateurs v Downall Green Utd (P6); Brinscall AFC v Sacred Heart (Accrington); Read Utd v Worth Avenue.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.