NORTH Leigh jumped back into second place with a routine 3-1 derby victory at home to local rivals Didcot Town on Boxing Day.

Goals from Stuart Hole, substitute George Seacole and Callum McNish helped the Millers close to within four points of leaders Cinderford Town at the top of Division 1 South & West in the Evo-Stik Southern League.

After a slow start, the home side began to gradually get a grip on the game.

They took the lead in the 25th minute, when former Didcot midfielder Morgan Williams’s corner was headed into the back of the net by Hole at the near post.

Millers boss Mark Gee was forced into a change at the break, with Seacole replacing the injured Elliott Osborne-Ricketts.

And the substitute made an immediate impact, lobbing Didcot goalkeeper Leigh Bedwell in the 47th minute after latching on to Jamie Cook’s pinpoint pass.

The hosts had their tails up and Seacole came close to scoring a third, but he could not direct Williams’s cross past Bedwell in the Didcot goal.

But it soon arrived on 58 minutes when McNish swept home Steve Davies’s cross from the right.

Didcot pulled a goal back in the 71st minute, central defender Adam Learoyd heading home substitute Josh Dutton-Black’s corner.

The visitors then brought on player-manager Andy Ballard in the final few minutes, but it was too little too late as the Millers comfortably held on for victory.

North Leigh are next in action on Saturday when they make the trip to Buckinghamshire to face mid-table Marlow.

North Leigh: Foster, Else, Hopkins, Turk, Westlake, Hole, Davies (Elkins 85), Osborne-Ricketts (Seacole HT), Cook, McNish, Williams (Fullerton 72). Sub not used: Taylor.

Attendance: 95.