READING YMCA moved to the top of the Premier Division table by winning three games in six days, writes Richard Ashton.

Matt Drake scored a brilliant hat-trick as the Young Men thrashed Hurst 7-1 last Wednesday, with Jamie Piercey bagging a brace and Darrel Fairbrother and Dan Donegan also on target.

Adam Frewin scored the consolation for the visitors.

YM continued their good form with a hard-fought 2-1 win against Highmoor Ibis on Saturday – Donegan striking twice – and they then moved five points clear at the top with a 3-0 cruise against Rotherfield United on Monday.

Ryan Adams and the prolific Donegan were among the Young Men goalscorers.

Second-placed Marlow United had their title hopes dented with a 2-1 defeat at Woodcote Stoke Row. Jake Dillon put WSR in front before Liam Bushay equalised midway through the second half, but a stunning late free-kick by Frank Dillon gave the hosts all three points.

Marlow have a game in hand on Reading YMCA and the two sides meet in a key title clash at The Cauldron this coming Saturday.

United had previously hammered AFC Aldermaston 4-0, with Mitchell Woodward netting twice and Adam Harman and Bushay also on the scoresheet.

That defeat completed a bad week for Aldermaston, who were also thumped 4-1 by lowly Unity.

Kissima Jatta, Kool Koryapoe, Prince Massaquoi and Sabeur Trabelsi were the Unity goalscorers, while Michael Porter netted for the visitors.

Unity were then beaten 1-0 at Newbury, Josh Stevens the hosts’ match-winner.

Woodcote Stoke Row edged to a 3-2 victory at Mortimer on Saturday.

An early Jake Dillon penalty put the visitors in front and Toby Nowell doubled the lead on 24 minutes.

However, Idrish Kamara cut the gap shortly after the interval before Josiah Miller levelled in the 70th minute.

But Woodcote Stoke Row hit back and a Jonny Summers header sealed the three points for the away side.

A bad three days for Mortimer was compounded by a 2-1 home defeat to Woodley United Reserves on Monday, Kaser Chowdhary’s 16th-minute strike not enough to earn anything for the home side.

Patrick Gardner and Tom Candish both scored twice as Rotherfield United crushed Woodley United Reserves 5-0 last Wednesday, with the beaten side going on to lose 1-0 at Hurst three days later.

Dan Hunt fired home a stunning hat-trick as Cookham Dean beat Westwood United 3-2 to record a 12th straight win and reach the final of the BTC Senior Cup.

Westwood United had previously sealed the Division One title with a 2-0 victory at Mortimer Reserves last Wednesday, Matthew Badger and Stuart Birkett getting the goals.

Maidenhead Magpies snatched a 3-2 success at home to Mortimer Reserves on Saturday.

Matthew Dover, Mark Knight and Nathan Lishman were on target for the hosts, while Luke Flory got both the Mortimer goals.

Highmoor U21 conceded their game at AFC Corinthians.

Westwood United Reserves sealed a double for the club as their 3-2 home win against Marlow United Reserves secured the Division Two crown.

Woodcote Stoke Reserves crashed to a 5-2 home defeat against FC Imaan Lions.

Tom Brownlow gave the hosts a fifth-minute lead but goals from George Dallarda and Ben Lyden turned the game on its head.

WSR captain Will Macdonald grabbed his second goal in as many games to level matters, but Lyden went on to complete his hat-trick and Dallarda added a second to his account to complete a comfortable win.

S.R.C.C. won the Division Three title by smashing Baughurst AFC 4-0 in their final game of the season.

Adam Williams bagged a brace and Sam Jordan and Craig Priest were the other goalscorers for the champions.

Baughurst bounced back three days later with a 4-2 success at Wargrave Reserves.

Neil King scored a fabulous ha-trick for the visitors, with Rob Teagle also on the scoresheet.

Christopher Blackall and Stuart Moss were the Wargrave goalscorers, with the latter sent off later on.

Louis Holland was on target for Woodley United A, but they were destroyed 4-1 by Taplow United Reserves, while Unity Reserves drew 0-0 with Twyford & Ruscombe.

Maidenhead Magpies Reserves are Division Four champions following their 2-1 win at Rotherfield United Reserves.

Ryan Carpenter was the champions’ hero as he grabbed a double, with Trishtan Douglin the Rotherfield goalscorer.

Highmoor Knights conceded their game at home to Hurst Reserves.

Division Five kings TDC Knights completed their season with a 2-1 home win against Shinfield Rangers.

Ibrahim Koroma and Simeon Edwards were on target for Knights, with Jonah Vaughan getting the visitors’ goal.

A Steven Lebrecht hat-trick helped The Hop Leaf to a 3-1 win against Hurst A, with Josh Maguire getting the goal for the beaten side.

Baughurst AFC Reserves conceded their game against Berks County FC Rovers.