Lindum Hockey continue to make their own history, beating title rivals Timperley Hockey 2-1 to extending their season-long unbeaten run to 12 matches.
Lindum were made to work hard for their victory, but goals from Ben Read and Louie Sadler were enough to win such an important match.
Last time out against Timperly, Lindum won 8-4 in what was a statement win. Last weekend, Lindum beat Sheffield 6-0 with a flurry of third and fourth quarter goals, going into the third quarter with the scoreline at 1-0.
First-Half:
The first quarter started off very slow, but the quality both sides had was obvious. Both teams had their fair share of possession, but neither side had any big chances.
Lindum attempted a set of long balls to turn defence into attack, but they were sloppy and unable to gain any sort of possession from it.
Timperley had the first major chance, with a penalty corner being put narrowly wide, much to the relief of the Lindum defence.
Lindum goalkeeper Oliver Carrick was called to during many Timperley chances and worked well to get himself low to stop any driven shots.
Lindum had their first opportunity 14 minutes into play. A ball played across found Sam France, but his shot was off target.
The Yellow Submarine snatched a late first-half goal from a penalty corner. The ball set up by Rob Johnstone laid-up Ben Read, whose effort found its way into the corner of the goal.
At the end of the first quarter, Johnstone juggled the ball around defenders, but his effort across goal found nobody.
The second quarter was much quieter, with Carrick making a series of saves to keep Lindum ahead.
The first-half started very slow, but both teams grew into it and proved why this was a clash between the top two in the England Hockey Conference North.
Second-Half:
The start of the third quarter was much quicker, with Timperley knowing they had to act fast to get back into the game.
A penalty corner for the visitors was stopped brilliantly by Lindum captain Johnstone, who managed to get his side out of danger.
Timperley grew desperate in the third quarter, with the umpires given no choice but to brandish green and yellow cards to players who were making dangerous tackles to win the ball back.
The visitors equalised halfway through the third quarter, thanks to a penalty corner that Lindum were unable to successfully defend.
This blow never shook Lindum, who continued to fight to get back in front.
Five minutes after the equaliser, Lindum managed to get a vital goal from a penalty corner. Louie Sadler managed to get his shot through Timperley bodies and into the net.
The penalty corner came with some controversy, as the umpires were forced into debate as to the severity of the challenge, much to the annoyance of the Lindum fans.
Very little came of the final quarter of the game as Timperley threw themselves into attack, desperate to get a goal back and earn a draw from the game.
As the game came to a close, Timperley had a ball played across the box, but nobody managed to get themselves in front of it.
The Yellow Submarine managed to defend well, and seal an important win.
Lindum Hockey 2-1 Timperley Hockey:
The victory puts Lindum six points clear at the top of the league, stretching their overall unbeaten streak to 35 games.
Next up for Lindum is another tough test against third-placed rivals Doncaster in South Yorkshire.