PROMOTION-chasing Breightmet United scored a major psychological blow in their quest for promotion back to the Premier Division with a 4-1 victory over Division One leaders Bury Amateurs in the Supplementary Cup on Saturday.

United surrendered second place in the league to Monton Amateurs, who won 2-1 at Heywood St James but the cup win served to underline their growing determination to bounce back into the top flight at the first attempt.

New signing Gary McShane, a Breightmet old boy, got them off to a flyer with two goals in the first 15 minutes but they were punished for sitting back on their lead when Bury pulled it back to 2-1 with half time approaching.

The two-goal advantage was restored when Danny Kerr scored straight from the restart to make it 3-1 at half time — a platform United built on in the second half with a dominant display.

Breightmet had chances to put the game beyond the Amateurs, who are currently nine points clear at the top of the table, but their dominance was eventually rewarded when man-of-the-match Andy Green pounced after a Kev Hughes free kick was charged down by the defensive wall.

Fives Athletic won the Division One basement battle 2-1 at home to Pennington — a result that left the Leigh side second bottom of the table.

Goals from Craig Redshaw and Tim Worthington gave the Worsley side a 2-0 half-time lead and, although Pennington fought hard to get back on terms on a heavy pitch, their only consolation came when Dodd pulled a goal back late on.

Leigh Athletic banked three valuable points in the battle to avoid relegation from the Premier Division with a 4-1 home win against Elton Vale.

Latics survived a shaky start in which keeper Tom Kay saved a penalty before being beaten by the flight of a corner as Vale took a 25th minute lead.

But they were back on terms by half time — Neil Sumner stooping to head home Chris Hopwood’s cross — and went on to record a comfortable victory with striker Andy Miller netting a second-half hat-trick.