Brilliant Badgers going up as league champions

Having beaten Cammell Laird 4-1 on Saturday, Brocton went into the local derby with Stafford knowing a draw would be enough to win the league.

And thanks to goals from Will Whieldon, Reg Smith and Matty Bestall, the hosts confirmed their spot in step five next season in front of a record Silkmore Lane crowd of 565.

Manager Alex Curtis said: “What an achievement. We knew the Stockport result before the game, and we told the lads to relax and get the point we needed.”

He added: “They all said we want three and what a way to clinch the title. What an attendance too. It was so difficult for me before the game to tell players who were not going to be involved. Everyone just rolled up their sleeves and delivered when we asked them to.”

Elsewhere in the division, Eccleshall picked up a win and a defeat over the Easter weekend.

A 3-1 win at Abbey Hey was followed by a disappointing 1-0 defeat at home to Abbey Hulton United.

In the Midland League Premier Division, Lichfield City dropped points in their title battle with Congleton Town.

After a 2-0 win at AFC Wulfrunians on Saturday, courtesy of goals from Daniel Lomas and Jack Edwards, Lichfield drew 1-1 at home to Dudley Town to hand the initiative back to Congleton.

Dudley themselves needed the point to keep their faint hopes of a play-off place alive, especially after their 3-1 defeat to Shifnal Town on Saturday.

Elsewhere in the division, Stourport Swifts’ play-off hopes took a knock after a 4-0 defeat at Darlaston Town, who had Aaron Bishop’s hat-trick to thank for the dominant win. Swifts’ game against Bewdley Town on Monday was postponed.

Darlaston themselves travelled to AFC Wulfrunians on Easter Monday and won 4-0 again, this time thanks to a Kieran Cook hat-trick as well as a goal from Rivel Mardenborough.

Tividale beat Wolverhampton Casuals 1-0 on Easter Monday for just their fifth victory of the league season.

It rounded off a disappointing weekend for the Casuals, who drew 0-0 with Atherstone Town two days earlier. Tividale’s game against Stone Old Alleynians on Saturday was postponed.

In Division One, Wednesfield had a mixed weekend in their hunt for a top-five finish.

After a 3-0 home win against Heather St John’s on Saturday, Wednesfield were beaten 2-1 at Wolverhampton Sporting on Easter Monday to leave them at risk of dropping out of the play-off places.

It was a huge weekend for Sporting and their survival chances as they also drew 2-2 at Cradley Town to move seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Play-off chasing Cradley made it two draws from two over the Easter weekend with a 1-1 stalemate at OJM Black Country.

Cradley now sit six points off the top five, while OJM are a point outside the play-offs with a game in hand.

Elsewhere on Easter Monday, Smethwick Rangers beat Bilston Town 3-1 to keep their faint survival hopes alive.