OFFICIALS, players and supporters of Atherton Colls were furious on Tuesday with the late cancellation of the midweek NWCL Division One fixture at Newcastle Town.

"Twenty past six they let us know it was off," fumed secretary Emile Anderson. "What use is that when you have to travel down to the Potteries. Half our players were already there.

"Apparently they didn't get a referee until after five. Considering how the weather as all day, that stinks. We were not best pleased to say the least."

Last Saturday Colls went down 4-0 at home to Curzon Ashton. The visitors were two goals up after just 22 minutes and any hope of a second half fightback for the home side was short-lived as a third goal was conceded within just two minutes of the restart. As Colls were left to chase the game Curzon got a fourth on 88 minutes.

"To my mind they are the best team we've played," says manager Chris O'Brien who had to witness his side undone by the type of football he is trying to instil in his own players.

"The pitch surface was very tacky indeed and yet they continued to pass it around all over the place and their movement off the ball was terrific. We just weren't at the races at all. We have a lot of young players who are still learning their trade and some of them will go a long way if they work hard at it. "They have got to see that sticking to the game plan like Curzon did pays off. That requires confidence which are lacking a bit at the moment." Tomorrow Colls look to give O'Brien his first win after nine games in charge with a home fixture against 'hoodoo' opponents Ramsbottom United. In all five previous meetings between the two Colls have gone down.

The bad news is that the ankle injury picked up by star winger Mark Jones last weekend has turned out to be ligament damage and he will be out for three weeks. On the plus side one time Colls' favourite Dougie Owen made his return in the Curzon game as substitute and looks to have done enough for a place in the starting line up against the Rams.

Atherton LR travel to Bootle tomorrow looking to pick up where they left off last Saturday in a 5-0 away victory at Colne.

"That was a terrific all round performance with all 14 lads in the squad playing their part to perfection," beamed LR manager Alan Lord. Mike Rhead got LR's first half solitary goal with a 25 yard curler with four coming in the second period from Gavin Salmon (2), Mark Fitton and Barry Massay. The result moved LR out of the bottom six.