GREAT Harwood Town hotshot Matty Derbyshire proved his manager right this week by turning down a move to Colne.

Despite intense interest from the North West Counties Division Two leaders and other clubs, Town boss John Hughes predicted that Derbyshire, who already has 12 goals this season, would bide his time until an offer from a higher division came in.

Colne manager Nigel Coates approached Derbyhsire, who hit another two last weekend in a 3-3 draw with Nelson, but was unsuccessful in his attempt to lure him to Holt House.

Coates said: "Matty prefers to wait for someone from a higher league. He said he appreciated the call and what we were trying to do here.

"He knows there are one or two professional clubs watching him so I shouldn't imagine he would swap the club he's with now for one in the same league."

Plymouth, Wigan and Burnley's Centre of Excellence have already tracked the 17-year-old's progress and Premiership scouts have also been monitoring his performances.

Harwood manager John Hughes said: "There are a lot of clubs looking at him so I want him to go to the one that will do the most for him."

Both Colne and Great Harwood are in League Challenge Cup preliminary round action tomorrow.

Although Coates' main priority is the league, he is still hoping for cup success at Colne this season, starting with victory at home to Oldham Town.

He said: "I'd prefer to progress in the cups. It's not as if they are a priority but I've only got a 17-man squad and it's easier to get them together for matches.

"The more cup matches we are involved in, the more midweek games we have and that is preferable.

"When it's just training some lads can't make it because of work commitments and other things but they always seem to make a game.

"I don't suppose the result against Oldham matters as much as a league game but it would be nice to go on and get a Division One team in the next round and see how we get on."

Gary Rishton is rated 50-50 for the visit of Oldham and Paul Walker's absence through injury could lead to Coates playing himself up front, as he did last week when he scored in the 3-0 win over Chadderton.

Great Harwood Town go to Maine Road on the back of a morale-boosting victory over Nelson in the Division Two Trophy.

However, Warren Baker, who scored the first goal in Monday's 2-0 replay win, is out injured and Dave Sharples is suspended.