ATHERTON Collieries FC may have enjoyed lots of success in local competitions last season but it was not only their first team who were celebrating.

The Under-18s side may have been together for years after spells at Moss Bank Juniors, CMB and Eagley but in their last season together as a team they won the North West Youth Alliance Division Two trophy at the second time of trying.

Secretary Mike Buckley said: "They ended up winning the league by nine points after beating Irlam 1-0 in the second to last game of the season.

"The lads had been together for 13 or 14 years since they were eight or nine.

"They put lots of effort into their practice once a week at ESSA Academy and they did lot of things that the two managers Mark Height and Matthew Dewhurst asked them to do.

"The managers worked so hard with them and there was a lot of commitment by the players going to the gym when they were not playing.

"Jack Foster played up front and he got dropped from Bury Academy due to an injury but he was able to play minor league being our top goalscorer.

"Bradley Yates was in midfield and did well but as a team we scored 61 goals and only conceded 22.

"It is a bit of a shame as the team is splitting up with some going to university and others might be playing with Chorley Under-21s."