HAVING won their top-of-the-table clash with Halfway Athletic on Saturday, Winsford Saxons are firmly in the box seat for a second straight Crewe and District League title.

In a match that saw both sides reduced to 10 men after just five minutes at Knights Grange, Saxons were 2-0 before play was ended early due to a serious injury.

A Halfway player required an ambulance to be taken from the field and his teammates decided they did not wish to continue, meaning the hosts were awarded the 2-0 win.

“Not the way we wanted to end the game as our boys were unplayable,” Saxons boss Gary Lee Jamieson said.

“Every single lad left everything out there knowing what was at stake.”

Greg Lumsden saw red for Winsford in the altercation which also saw the Halfway left-back dismissed but it was Saxons who adjusted better to the early setback.

Their opening goal came courtesy of centre-half Barry Jones, who flicked home Kane Ode’s vicious corner at the near post.

Ode was then replaced by Dean Mundy at the break and five minutes later, the substitute was on the scoresheet.

Joe Duckworth and Farrell Duncan linked up well to find Mundy free in the area and he took a touch before calmly slotting home.

Saxons now lead the division by two points having played three less games than second-place Sandbach Curshaws but must now wait two weeks until their next fixture – a trip to Sandbach Town on February 22.