Local sides limbering up for success

IT'S been a great week for local sides in the Goldline Trophy as the group stages of the tournament begin to take shape.

One of the sides to make good ground is Atherton Town, whose one hundred per cent record has enabled them to proceed to the quarter-finals. Town hammered Dobbies Veterans 4-1 on Monday night in a rout that was started off by Phil Reynolds' early strike. Danny Christie added two and John Hyde a fourth before the hosts hit back through Steve Brennan. The 1998 finallists qualified after Thursday night's opponents Eagley were forced to concede the tie after breaking tournament regulations.

Neighbours Atherton Collieries hope to follow them into the last eight after a dramatic late victory over Bolton County was secured by Stuart Shepherd's disputed late penalty. All three goals had come late in the game after County's Taz Tobin had cancelled out Martin Sloane's volleyed opener at Alder House.

Atherton LR also look in a good position to qualify after staving off the challenge of Elton Fold at Crilly Park. Goals from Phil Sheenan and Anthony Smith were enough to see the first champions of the event to a 2-1 victory, and they look in even better shape to make the quarter-finals after Tuesday night's draw at Charnock Richard. Barry Massey's equaliser for Alan Lord's side fifteen minutes from time was added to by Mark Parry's late penalty but the visitors were forced to settle for a share of the spoils by Alan Archer's towering header in stoppage time.

Pennington should make the knockout stages after defeating Radcliffe Amateurs on Sunday, a 2-0 victory coming courtesy of Carl Caffrey and Sam Heenan, and Hindsford offered themselves a glimmer of hope with a comprehensive 4-1 defeat of Rivington on Tuesday.

However, Golborne Sports' final group game against Dobbies Vets will be for pride after Sports lost their two matches this week. Their 2-1 defeat at the hands of Old Boltonians condemned them to early elimination after a 4-1 reverse to Eagley.

Most of the first round groups will be concluded this week, with Atherton LR likely to secure progression if they beat Rivington on Saturday. Collieries' face in-form Prestwich Heys at Alder House on Monday evening (6:30pm kick-off) with Town' facing a trip to Old Boltonians on Thursday. Pennington will progress to the knockout phase with victory in Tuesday night's tie with Blackrod Town.