They slipped up on Saturday though as they could only draw 1-1 at lowly Rochdale, Burnley making up ground on them with a 3-0 home win against Bury, then Carlisle also catching up points on the Red Dragons with a hard-fought 1-0 victory, thanks to a 60th minute Liam Davison header, at home to Tranmere at Gillford Park on Monday lunchtime.
Those results leaving the current state of play, before Wrexham visit fifth-placed Preston on Wednesday, as Burnley third with 43 points from just 16 games, Carlisle second on 47 points from 19 matches and the Red Dragons at the top with 50 points from 21 games. Wrexham's midweek fixture at North End meaning that Burnley will then have massive six matches in hand on the Welshmen.
United meanwhile will be three games behind Wrexham ahead of Saturday's massive game between the two sides in North Wales, the Red Dragons also having Burnley to play at home this season too. The Clarets easily the side in title-winning pole position at the moment on paper, but only if they can make the most of a gruelling fixture list to come.
Elsewhere in the division Port Vale, in fourth, lost 1-0 at home to Preston while sixth-placed Oldham will have been disappointed after only drawing 1-1 at home to rock-bottom Accrington Stanley. Mid-table Stockport and Macclesfield the other sides in league action on Saturday as they fought out a 1-1 draw in County's home fixture.
Rochdale then following up their surprise draw against Wrexham with an excellent 4-0 win on the road at Morecambe on Monday. That crowning another miserable weekend for the Shrimps who were knocked out of the League Cup area semi-finals by Grimsby 2-0 at home on Saturday.
The only side left flying the flag for the North-West division now being Tranmere, who defeated Carlisle 1-0 at home in the quarter-finals and Darlington 2-0 at home in the area final four. Vying to face Rovers or Grimsby in the overall final are Gillingham and QPR who both tasted victory in their southern area semi-finals inside 90 minutes to avoid the need to go straight to penalties.
Results in the division on Saturday 28th February
Burnley 3-0 Bury
Carlisle United P-P Chester City
Oldham Athletic 1-1 Accrington Stanley
Port Vale 0-1 Preston North End
Rochdale 1-1 Wrexham
Stockport County 1-1 Macclesfield Town
Results in the division on Monday 2nd March
Carlisle United 1-0 Tranmere Rovers (12noon)
Morecambe 0-4 Rochdale (7pm)
Fixture in the division on Wednesday 4th March
Preston North End v Wrexham (1pm)
Fixtures in the division on Saturday 7th March
Chester City v Morecambe
Macclesfield Town v Oldham Athletic
Port Vale v Preston North End
Shrewsbury Town v Rochdale
Stockport County v Accrington Stanley
Tranmere Rovers v Blackpool
Walsall v Burnley
Wigan Athletic v Bury
Wrexham v Carlisle United (12noon)
Fixture in the division on Monday 9th March
Accrington Stanley v Macclesfield Town
Puma Youth Alliance Cup, Northern Semi-Finals, Saturday 28th February
Morecambe 0-2 Grimsby Town
Tranmere Rovers 2-0 Darlington
Puma Youth Alliance Cup, Southern Semi-Finals, Saturday 28th February
Gillingham 3-0 Swindon Town
Queens Park Rangers 2-1 Leyton Orient
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