CHURCH INN are out of the Sharman Cup. The holders crashed 3-1 in the Leigh & District Amateur Football League competition - a three-goal second-half salvo from Butchers Arms leaving them dead and buried.

Butchers strike trio of Dave Renshaw, Billy Killeen and Gary Renshaw (after missing a penalty) answered a first-half strike from Peter Hough.

Union Arms B romped into the semis with a 6-1 thumping of Britannia thanks to goals from Dale Evans, Steve Boardman, Lee Johnson and Stuart Buck 3. Michael O'Brien fired the lone reply.

In the Carl Brown Memorial Trophy Group A Leigh Eagles A stay top after defeating Westleigh Village 6-0, former Village star Greg Anderson hitting a hat-trick, Clinton Andrews 2 and Andy Denton also on target.

HF Village Inn beat Punch Bowl 4-0 despite some valiant work in the nets from Scott Wilkinson. Second-half goals came from Geoff Myers 2, Warren Knowles and Phil Aldred.

Group B leaders Three Crowns drew 2-2 with Queens, Dave Saunders hitting two for Three, Peter Healey hitting two for Queens.

Goals from Kevin Mullins 2, Paul Cottrell and Paul Taylor earned Royal Oak a 4-1 win against Rileys - and they remain the only team in the League to be undefeated in all competition this season.

In the only Division One match Union Arms A had a touch job before beating Blue Lion 3-2, Steve Poole hitting the winner. Early goals came from Paul Monaghan and Andy Corrigan (Arms) and Alan Litherland and Damien Renshaw (Lion).

In Division Two ever-young John Bray, goalkeeper with Corbett Brewery, was ever active despite goals from Neil Thompson, Dennis Hilton and Wayne Pitchford.

Concert Rovers beat Leigh Eagles B 3-1, Brian Hupton, Marcus Finney and John Battersby on top target, Jason Forshaw getting one back.

An outstanding game saw St Gabriel's win 5-4 at Ross's Wanderers, Mark Ashcroft grabbing the winner in the last minute.

Ross's four from Phil Smallman 2, Mark Brady and Alan Lomas; St Gabriel's first four from Ian Foy 3 and Steve Ashbrook.

Meanwhile, preparations are in hand for NEXT season.

If you are keen to join this highly-competitive league write to The Secretary, Leigh & District Amateur League, 7 Birchfield Avenue, Atherton M46 0HR.

Results - Sharman Cup, quarter-finals: Church Inn 1 Butchers Arms 3, Union Arms B 6 Britannia 1; Carl Brown Memorial Trophy, Group A: Higher Fold Village Inn 4 Punch Bowl 0, Westleigh Village Club 0 Leigh Eagles A 6; Group B: Royal Oak 4 Rileys 1, Three Crowns 2 Queens 2; Division One: Union Arms A 3 Blue Lion 2; Division Two: Corbett Brewery 0 Leigh Phoenix 3, Leigh Eagles B 1 Concert Rovers 3, Ross's Wanderers 4 St Gabriel's 5.

Fixtures (2.30pm unless stated) - Coronation Cup, semi-final (2pm): Royal Oak v Union Arms A (Devonshire Road; Tony Horridge; Danny Rhoden, Malcolm Sargent); Sharman Cup, quarter-final (2pm): Leigh Victoria v New Inn Rangers, St Gabriel's v Corbett Brewery (Joe Cambray); Carl Brown Memorial Trophy, Group A: Blue Lion v Leigh Eagles A (Maurice Jones), Westleigh Village Club v Higher Fold Village Inn (Andy Packwood); Group B: Queens v Rileys (Andy Thompson); Division One: Three Crowns v Punch Bowl; Division Two: Leigh Eagles B v Church Inn (Michael Horridge), Ross's Wanderers v Butchers Arms (Duncan Calland).

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