ATHERTON LR's Alan Lord, one of the most experienced managers around in the entire North West Counties League, is eager to point out that the credit for success at the club since he took over is shared.

He readily recognises the great benefits of a quality backroom staff and there is no doubt in his mind that the one he has now at Crilly Park is more than the equal of any he has assembled in the past.

"These lads are amongst the best I've ever had," he says. "We have elevated Jason Holroyd to the position of being my assistant in addition to his important role on the pitch. He has been with me at Cheadle, Warrington, Salford, Colls and now LR.

"On the playing side he is blessed with vision, reads the game superbly and is a quality passer of a ball. All the players respect him so he is the ideal lad to fill a mediator role. He is the perfect foil to myself and he has great camaraderie with the rest of the players.

"Our first team coach, Danny Johnson, was a player for me at Daisy Hill and now at Crilly Park, doubles up with the superb job he does as sweeper in our side by taking charge of all the training sessions. Out on the field he is a great talker and born organiser when it comes to coaching his sessions are real 'gruellers' and he's really upped the fitness levels for us. He's the current manager of the Manchester County FA Youth team and you've got to say that he has been very much responsible for this year's change of fortunes at the club.

"He's very similar to Jason in style with a careful, positive attitude to everything he does. Steve Speakman is our physio. When I first came to the club we didn't have any for this job but Steve came along and he's been absolutely superb. His knowledge in responding to and dealing with injuries has been vital for us as we have a paper thin squad and he's helped us to get through.

"The assistance that the gives players in their rehabilitation after injury makes sure they are 100 per cent right when they come back in. He brings a very professional outlook to everything which is a real bonus for us in all those routine tasks involved in management like the kit, the first aid box and all those little things that if they go wrong cause major problems. All in all I don't think I've had a better backup personnel at any club I've been with." Tomorrow LR have second in the table Warrington Town as visitors.

Atherton Colls were left fuming on Tuesday night by a first half incident that they felt was largely instrumental in a 5-2 home defeat by Abbey Hey.

After going behind in the first minute Colls levelled with Ian Gibson scoring on 12 minutes following a succession of corners. Three minutes later Carlos Meakin's effort appeared to go in the top corner but came out at the back of the net. The referee initially gave a goal then for some reason even though a flag wasn't raised, consulted with his assistant. No one could believe it when the decision was changed to a goalkick.

"The high feelings a grievance had hardly cooled down before star defender Anthony Smith was carried off with concussion. The visitors got a second goal right on half time and two more in quick succession after the break to make it 4-1. Martin Sloan got one back for Atherton but yet more slack defending gifted the visitors a fifth.

Alder House press secretary Paul Gregory said: " It was one of the strangest decisions we,ve ever seen. If that had stood we were 2-1 up and with all the pressure we had put on it could have been a totally different game. We just couldn,t understand it because he had given the goal and then for some unknown reason just changed his mind."

Colls will need better from that defence tomorrow in a tough away assignment at second in the Division One table Prescot Cables.