THE new year brought about no new fortunes for the highest or lowest placed sides in the York Minster Engineering League premier division as the top three - headed by Old Malton St Mary's - all registered wins while the bottom three all lost.

St Mary's maintained their seven-point lead at the summit following a comfortable 6-0 win over bottom-placed Easingwold Town.

Second-placed Dunnington saw off Osbaldwick 5-1 and third-placed Riccall United came from 3-1 down at half-time to beat Copmanthorpe 6-4.

Easingwold arrived at the Fitzwilliam with no points and at no time threatened to cause an upset.

The heavy pitch was not conducive to Malton's free-flowing football and in the first 20 minutes the hosts played at far too slow a tempo.

The first bit of urgency brought the first goal as Steve Baxter found strike partner Tom Fenwick who finished across the keeper into the bottom corner.

Ten minutes later, a poor clearance from the Town keeper was clinically played first time by Richard Dunning to Dean Nuttall who hared away and hammered the ball into the far corner.

Dunning was the provider again as Fenwick added his second goal before Baxter got in on the act making it four.

Nuttall was then played through and easily beat the keeper for number five.

The second half saw Saints patiently play the ball around but fail to put it in the net, despite a succession of chances.

Easingwold never gave in but were indebted to their keeper for a succession of saves, Fenwick, Baxter and substitute Danny Fogg all denied while Simon Cooke and Nuttall also went close.

Old Malton's only reward in the second period came from another poor clearance from the gloveman, who was punished as Fogg returned it first time into the unguarded net.

Substitute Jon Newton was then denied one on one as the keeper somehow tipped hit shot onto the bar before Fenwick was denied a hat-trick from the rebound, his effort likewise tipped onto the bar and away for a corner.

Old Malton's lead at the top could be cut this coming weekend as they are not in league action, instead taking on Teesside League side Nunthorpe Athletic in a quarter-final tie as they continue their defence of the North Riding County Cup.

Saints' Ryedale neighbours, Terrington Glory, were thankful the bottom three in the table - Easingwold, Poppleton and York RI - all lost as they continue to dance with danger, having lost a seven-goal thriller at Church Fenton White Horse.

Adam Fisher and Tom Paley put Terrington in command after 20 minutes, only to see their lead cancelled out by strikes from Rory McCrae and Lenny Mason.

Johnny Brown restored Glory's lead just before the break but John Langrick made it 3-3 shortly after the interval.

Chances followed at both ends in a barnstorming game, but it was Church Fenton's day as John Marshall popped up late on to net the deciding goal.

Like in the premier division, the top three in division one also all won their first games of 2015 - with two Ryedale sides staying very much in the mix.

Leaders F1 Racing maintained the pace after a 3-0 success at Total Sports United.

An own goal and a Scott Preston effort gave second-placed Malton & Norton a 2-1 victory against Hemingbrough United, for whom Luke Zacharenko was on target.

Brooklyn stayed hot on their heels, as goals flowed in their 9-3 home success over Cliffe.

Tom Hogg and Luke Durham had given Cliffe a 2-1 lead early on but, despite a second goal from Durham, the visitors came off a clear second best.

David Thompson led the way for Brooklyn with a hat-trick in a man-of-the-match performances, while Marcus Godsell and Mikey Brown both hit doubles. Andrew Phillips and Andrew Metcalfe also found the net as their side started 2015 on a high.