BREIGHTMET United manager Paul Roberts may have been warming up the hairdryer for his players but they escaped his wrath with a late winner against Govan Athletic.

Roberts had watched his side storm into a three-goal lead inside the first half hour but Govan pulled one back just before half time and two further goals for the visitors looked to have earned them an unlikely point.

However, Osman Karakan swooped in the 88th minute, volleying in the winner that keeps his team in fourth in Division One, behind Hollinwood on goal difference.

The victory left Roberts with a mixture of emotions, ranging from pride in the character shown by his his players to disappointment in how they had buckled under pressure after having been so dominant.

“I never thought it was job done, even when we were 3-0 up inside the first 30 minutes, because I know what we’re like,” he said. “I knew from recent games once we’d got into a lead we started to do the safe things and stopped outplaying them, as we had been doing. They got their preparation right and when they went out they were really on it, playing good football from back to front.

“But we just stopped doing what had been working for us and started taking the safe option. I kept telling them to start playing football again instead of just inviting pressure.

“To be fair to the lads, when Govan had pulled it back to 3-3 they were down but they showed unbelievable fighting character to respond and get the win instead of trying to hold out.”

The afternoon had started so brightly for Breightmet, with Ash Barlow’s stunning 10th-minute free kick that was drilled into the top corner from 25 yards. Their lead was doubled by captain Carl Bancks, who was afforded the time to bring down a corner delivered to the back post and sidefoot home. When Andrew Green headed in Karakan’s cross to the far post Breightmet were three goals to the good and looking on course for a routine victory. But a slip from Bancks allowed Govan to pull one back before the break.

The visitors’ chances increased when United surrendered possession in midfield and a speculative 35-yard effort evaded the grasp of keeper Mark Grundy and nestled in the bottom corner of the goal.

And a second mistake in the back line saw Govan draw level with 10 minutes still to play. But it was Breightmet who snatched the win, Karakan evading his man to get to a ball that was sent back into the box after a corner had been half-cleared.

“I am disappointed we let the pressure get to us, and that we got drawn into a battle,” added Roberts.

“We don’t mind a battle but we had been cruising so didn’t need to do that but in the end we got the win we deserved.”

As for United’s hopes of the Division One title, Roberts feels leaders Prestwich Heys Reserves’ seven-point lead at the top means they are too far ahead to be challenged but they will aim for a top-six finish.

“We’re happy to be in the mix,” he said. “It is close in this division, we’ve shown that – we have won five and drawn one now, and that has taken us from near the bottom up to fourth.

“It is a bigger season than we’ve ever had, there are 36 games so while we have turned it around after our bad start we know we may have another run of bad results but with 19 teams in the division there is time to turn it round again.”

Bolton County became the first team this season to inflict defeat on Prestwich Heys Reserves, Liam Short’s fine strike giving them a 1-0 win against to the leaders.

“It was a cracking game between two good teams,” said manager Mark Ormrod. “It was a major scalp for us.

“There were chances at both ends and it was a very fast-paced and competitive game.

“All the lads brought their A game, which we needed to against a very good team who I think will be the champions this season.

“Liam’s goal was a wonder strike, he caught it beautifully and it was absolutely unstoppable.”