BISHOPS Castle player-boss Andrew Green has signed ex-Newcastle skipper Mark Jones to lead the club’s assault on promotion and four cup competitions.

“Mark Jones has been playing at Knighton Town and he’s a brilliant player,”

said Green, whose side travel to thirdplaced Wroxeter Rovers in the Mercian League Division One this Saturday.

“I have been trying to get Mark for a while and his brother, Adie, is also a very good player.

“Promotion is our aim this season and we want to finish second.

“I think we have gone down to seventh in the table but we are only six points from second place and it’s all to play for.”

Green has also strengthened his side by snapping up Phil Bates, Alex Bromley and Wayne Edwards.

Town recorded a 4-2 home win over Edgmond Rangers last Saturday in the third round of the Shropshire FA Junior Challenge Cup.

Mark Griffiths bagged two goals, while Jack Wilson and Dan Dawson also scored for Castle, who trailed twice in the match.

“I said some harsh words at half-time,”

said Green.

“We think we can win the Junior Cup and we are also still in the Newcastle, Bishops Castle and league cups.”

Church Stretton joint-manager Joe Leask says his table-toppers must pick up maximum points this Saturday in the Mercian League Premier Division.

Leask said: “We have got both Oakegates and Hodnet at home in successive weekends.

“We lost 4-1 at Oakengates earlier in the season in our worst display.

“We will need to pick up maximum points if we want to achieve our aim which is to finish in the top three.”

Chris Shurmer conceded an 87th-minute penalty which consigned Leintwardine Colts to a 5-4 defeat at Ross Juniors Reserves in Herefordshire League Division Three.

“I was standing still and I took a step forward and the player fell over me,” fumed boss Shurmer. “I didn’t know anything about it and I flabbergasted that it was a penalty.”

Chris Broome and Tom George conceded own goals for Leintwardine, who fought back from 3-1 and 4-3 down to level the match at 4-4.

“It’s an 80-minute drive home from Ross after the game, so it was a hard defeat to take,” said Shurmer.

Chris Williams (2), Chris Martin and George netted the goals for Leintwardine.

George Piper and Chris Breakwell bagged braces, and Tom Everall also scored, in Woofferton Colts’ 5-0 win at Pencombe in Division Two.

Bucknell squandered a 3-0 lead and drew 3-3 at home to Talgarth Town Reserves in the Mid Wales League (South). Martin Davies’ side are now unbeaten in eight matches but would have expected a win after goals from Neil Lewis, Adam Ray and Martin Smith put them 3-0 ahead.

Newcastle’s hopes of a top-two finish now appear slim after John Goodridge’s side crashed 3-0 at Brecon Town.

The wet weather, once again, forced a host of postponements for clubs in the Advertiser patch last weekend.