In a roller-coaster match at the Arbories, Padiahm clinched what may turn out to be an important three points.
Robert Grimes gave the Storks the perfect start, heading in a Paul Fildes’ cross after only three minutes.
Fildes then doubled Padiham’s lead himself on 15 minutes, scoring with an edge-of-the-box shot.
After the break, though, Irlam hit back to score twice in the opening 10 minutes through Mike Connor and Shane Davies.
Padiham’s winner came eight minutes from time when Fildes got free of his marker to head in a Tom Bradley free-kick.
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