LADYBRIDGE head into the festive period five points off the pace at the top of Division One after they lost 1-0 at home to league leaders Burscough Richmond on Saturday.

The top-of-the-table clash at St John's Park was a tight affair with chances limited at both ends.

The only goal of the game came on 20 minutes when Mike Galliers' 25-yard half volley left Ladybridge keeper Paris Nuttall stranded.

Ladybridge's best chances of the half came from Aaron Thorpe's close range effort and Ross Ellison's header from a corner, which flew narrowly wide.

Ladybridge were forced into two changes at the break when both Sam Parkinson and Jason Mannion picked up injuries.

Despite controlling possession in the second period, the hosts struggled to find a way past Burscough's defence, with the best chance of the half falling to Michael McGinlay.

The striker got on the end of Harry Brazel's cross only to see his shot go narrowly wide as the visitors saw out the game.

Elsewhere, Turton are now just three points behind Bridge with seven games in hand after climbing to third place with a convincing 4-0 victory against bottom-of-the-table Dalton in the only other game to survive the weather.

After only playing once in the last seven weeks, second half goals from Luke Bradbury, Adam Street (two) and Jordan McLoughlin gave the hosts victory, a result which delighted boss Neil Johnson.

"It finishes the year off well and puts us in a good position going into the new year," he said.

"It is going to be very tight at the top of the table with four or five teams pushing for promotion.

"We just need to keep winning our games and stay in that pack.

Turton had a couple of half chances and Damien Keegan's header was cleared off the line but a defensive mix up almost let the visitors take the lead when they hit the post.

The home side suffered an injury blow when last season's leading scorer Kieron Sisson was forced off and this seemed to galvanise Dalton and unsettle the hosts with Josh McGreavy in the Turton goal making an excellent save to keep the game scoreless at half time.

Turton controlled the second half and took the lead following a corner which was half cleared to Keegan who played it into the path of centre forward Luke Bradbury who fired home.

It was one-way traffic from then on and the second goal followed 10 minutes later when an inswinging free kick from Matt Eckersley was headed home from close range by Street.

Street added a third with a freak goal when a wind-assisted long clearance deceived the advancing Dalton keeper and bounced over him into the empty net before a Ally Dickson free kick was brilliantly turned onto the bar by the keeper leaving Jordan McLoughlin with the simple task of tapping home from close range.

"We didn't get going in the first half," said Johnson.

"A number of players were on Christmas dos the night before and it showed.

"But the second half display was much better and once we got the first goal I was confident we would go on to win the game."

Five other league fixtures fell foul of the weather with Eagley's trip to Vickerstown in the Premier Division postponed due to a waterlogged pitch as well as Tempest United's away game at Haslingden St Marys in Division One. In Division Two, Bolton County's home clash against Swarthmoor Social, CMB's trip to Leyland United and Stoneclough's game against Croston Sports were all off.