ONE is returning to where it all started, the other has his eye on higher things.

But make no mistake about it - Ian McGarry and Brent Peters are back in non-league football.

McGarry's first game in charge of Great Harwood - where he first played as a 15-year-old in the Lancashire Combination - ended in a satisfying 1-1 draw on Tuesday against Farsley Celtic, who finished fourth in the UniBond First Division last season.

Most pleasing for McGarry was the attitude of the players, even though he recognises that if they did not perform in the new manager's opening game they are not likely to perform for him ever.

"The players' response was tremendous," he enthused.

"There seems to be some good players at the club.

"We definitely deserved a result against Farsley Celtic and a win wouldn't have flattered us. And they're a very good side.

"So the signs are promising but it's early days.

"I'm very pleased to be at this club and I'm looking forward to the task ahead."

Brent Peters' long-term commitment to Bacup Borough, rooted firmly to the bottom of NWCL Division Two, is less resolute.

Working without a contract, he says he is offering his services to the club. "We are working on the understanding that if another club steps in, Bacup will not stand in my way," said Peters, formerly with Rossendale United and Accrington Stanley and most recently with Doncaster Rovers.

"I resigned as assistant manager to Kerry Dixon at Doncaster because of problems within the club.

"Players weren't getting paid and I have not received money owing to me.

"I live in the (Rossendale) Valley and, being out of work, I started to take some of Bacup's games in.

"Things have been going badly at the club and I was asked by members of the board if I fancied getting involved with them.

"I declined at first.

"I'm looking to get back into the Football League, the GM Vauxhall Conference or the UniBond Premier league.

"My ambition, to manage my own club in the Football League, would be the icing on the cake.

"But at the moment I'm not working for anybody so I decided to lend my services to Bacup, to give something back to the game. "I don't want this to sound derogatory at all because while with Bacup I will give 120 per cent.

"Anybody who knows me knows that will be the case.

"I will hopefully bring some quality to the club which, from what I've seen, hasn't been there."

Already Peters has attracted a number of players to the club.

"Strikers Paul Beck, ex-Accrington Stanley and Rossendale, Mike Lukovic, ex-Accrington Stanley and Hyde, and Joseph Jarrett, who has trained with Southport and Altrincham, have all come in," he said.

"And former Great Harwood and Rossendale defender Paul Rigby has also come.

"In a lot of respects the players are here for me and I think the fans will love watching them.

"The pitch at West View doesn't lend itself to the way we want to play, open, attractive football.

"But we will try our best to achieve things here, hopefully win something and try to put a good run together."

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