BIRTHDAY boy Jordan Rivis helped fire newitts.com Beckett League first division leaders Wombleton Wanderers to a 5-2 victory over Slingsby.

Rivis bagged a brace and hit the bar during a man-of-the-match display that also saw Jake Dennison strike twice for Wanderers, who forged ahead with just 40 seconds on the clock through Tom Ellis.

His clinical finish followed some fine interchange play with Dennison.

Slingsby levelled on 18 minutes through Scott Simpson before Dennison netted moments later, having been teed up by Luke Tateson, who was back from injury.

Rivis went on to grab his first of the game after more impressive work by Dennison and made the score 4-1 on 29 minutes.

On the stroke of half-time, a Tateson effort was then cleared off the line by Slingsby’s Joe Brown.

The visitors pulled a goal back through Jack Hopwood after the break before Dennison replied.

Shaun Suffield subsequently made two fine saves for Slingsby and Rivis rattled the goal frame late on.

The away team’s top performers were centre-back Paul Richardson and midfielder Ady Holtby.

Victory meant Wombleton remain three points ahead of nearest rivals Heslerton, who beat Sinnington 2-1 for their 10th win in a row.

Heslerton’s veteran keeper, Gareth Driver, made an excellent early save before his team took a 20th-minute lead when Luke Simpson was brought down in the area and skipper Steve Oxendale converted from the penalty spot.

Robbie Preston and James Webb both had further chances to add to the lead before half-time but the Sinners’ teenager keeper George Brown made two outstanding saves to keep his side in the game.

But, on 50 minutes, man-of-the-match Oxendale netted again after Chris Preston sent a free-kick into the 18-yard box.

The ball fell to Joe Schofield and, after his shot hit the post, it rebounded back to Preston who picked out Oxendale for a powerful header into the visitors’ goal.

Brown, meanwhile, pulled off save after save to prevent Heslerton forging further in front and Adam Stephens’ header made a game of it for the final 15 minutes.

Those two players were the pick of Sinnington’s players on the day.

Top-two Wombleton and Heslerton now have four games left to play and will meet each other at Heslerton for a possible title showdown on Saturday, March 28, kick-off 2pm. Thornton-le-Dale, meanwhile, won 2-1 at Rosedale, taking a 10th-minute lead when Nic Wilkinson hammered the ball into the net following a Simon King lay-off.

Ten minutes later, David Elliot finished a move he had started when he pounced after Wilkinson’s shot was only parried.

In the second half, the visitors’ keeper David Sturgess saved superbly to prevent Tim Hodgson scoring for Rosedale.

However, after 56 minutes Tom Bell did grab a consolation.

Rosedale then went in pursuit of an equaliser but Thornton’s defence held out and the team remain on course for a top-four finish.

There was no happy ending to the season for Bagby & Balk, meanwhile, as they wrapped up their campaign with a 3-0 defeat to Union Rovers.

Nicky Todd, Bryde Freer, and Dave Cottle were the marksmen with central-midfielder Nicky Drew taking the man-of-the-match honours and centre-back Olly Brooks impressing most for Bagby.