Manchester 3 Knutsford 5
KNUTSFORD kept pace with their promotion rivals after extending a winning run to four matches, helped by Jonny Price's hat-trick.
But they were made to work by lowly Manchester, who took the lead and later cancelled a two-goal deficit in a close encounter at Leigh.
The hosts edged ahead following a lapse in concentration in defence, although skipper Dave Price quickly restored parity when he drilled in from a short corner.
Tom Howard then finished with force at the back post to make it 2-1.
The Black Knights wasted chances to add to their advantage, although they did find the net again before the break when Jonny Price was first to a rebound after Manchester's goalkeeper made an initial save.
However their opponents rallied at the start of the second period, halving their arrears from a set piece and then claiming an equaliser shortly afterwards from a long ball forward.
It acted as a jolt for Knutsford, conscious that Keswick and Blackburn Northern - the two teams above them in North West League Division Two - were meeting in Cumbria.
Jonny Price found space in the D from which he applied a finish of high quality, sending the ball into the bottom corner.
And the same player made it a personal treble when he repeated the trick for a narrow angle before the final whistle.
Knutsford will host struggling Crewe Vagrants seconds at Westfield Drive this Saturday, push back 2pm.
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