SHAKERS Centre of Excellence sides were involved in a series of local derbies against Oldham Athletic, and happily for the club a successful set of fixtures ensued, including a hat-full of goals for one young striker.

Under 13 striker Nathan Eccleston-Clarke netted five goals against the Boundary Park juniors, and Centre of Excellence head Neil Hanks was full of praise for the youngster.

He said: "It's a great achievement for Nathan. He's playing very well, and has attracted interest from a higher level, but he doesn't want to leave and is quite happy to stay at the club, which is a great testament for what we're trying to achieve here."

Nathan wasn't the only junior player in the spotlight, with a number of his club mates receiving accolades rewarding them for their efforts in the first month of the new season.

The new Youth & Centre of Excellence Player of the Month award recognises one player from each age group who has made the biggest strides in their development over the past four weeks, and Youth team coach Chris Casper was on hand to present the prizes to September's winners at half time during the first team clash with Doncaster Rovers.

Winners:

Under 9s: Matthew Boyle

Under 10s: Carl Riley

Under 11s: Luke Chapman

Under 12s: Richard Fitton

Under 13s: Declan O,Shea

Under 14s: Ben Crowshaw

Under 15s: Adam Williams

Under 16s: Jonny Selisney

Youth team: Milton Turner