ONE of Blackrod Town’s best outings of the season saw them send away the reigning Premier Division champions, Failsworth Dynamos, defeated 2-1.

And they did it with a degree of style, as Matty Davies showed skill and accuracy for the first goal, and substitute Sammy Cardwell made an eye-catching impact to hit the winner moments after coming on 20 minutes from time.

The victory, their first against Failsworth, may not have any bearing on this season’s title race but it provided a handy boost ahead of Blackrod’s bid for two cups.

“We definitely put in one of our best performances of the season against Failsworth,” said joint-manager Iain Froggatt. “The pitch wasn’t perfect but we matched them in all departments and we were chuffed to get our first win against them – we could have had more goals too, we hit the post late on and Mike McGinley somehow missed one from six yards out, but we did enough and deserved to win.

“Matty scored a brilliant first goal a minute before half time, he nutmegged his man then smashed it into the top corner of the goal from 20 yards.

“There was a bit of controversy about their equaliser in the second half, Failsworth played on when one of their lads had a head injury and when we got the ball back and went on the attack the referee pulled it back for a free kick to them, which confused everybody.

“They went and scored from it, but we had been comfortable up to that point so we were confident we could recover, go again and get a second goal, and that’s what Sammy did when he came on.”

Cardwell made his entrance as his side were attacking, a set-piece allowing him to announce his arrival in style, his first touch of the game being to control the ball on his chest, leading to his second touch, an overhead kick that flew past the Dynamos keeper and in for a spectacular winning goal.

While Failsworth flounder in 10th place, Blackrod’s season has not gone to plan either. Currently seventh, they still have ambitions to finish in the top five.

And with a League Cup tie on Monday against top-flight local rivals Horwich St Mary’s Victoria, and their involvement in the Wigan Cup continuing, Froggatt says there is no chance of anyone at Blackrod easing their way into the summer.

“We’re really looking forward to the game on Easter Monday,” he said. “We’re hoping for some good weather and to get a good crowd coming down, there were about a hundred watching on a sunny day when we drew them in the cup last year so hopefully we’ll have something similar again.

“We’re mid-table, we’ve had a bit of a mixed season when we were aiming to be in the mix for the top.

“It’s not worked out that way but we’ll try to finish the season as strongly as we can and then see what we can do to freshen the squad up for next year, so there is a lot for us still to play for.”

At the top of the table, Old Boltonians continued their charge to the title with a 3-1 win at home to Old Mancunians, with two goals from Lucas Gaynor and one from captain Dave Warburton. The win keeps them three points ahead of Mostonians, who beat Little Lever 1-0.

Horwich St Mary’s Victoria did Old Bolts’ hopes the power of good, holding challengers Rossendale to a 1-1 draw.

In Division One Bolton Wyresdale were defeated 4-2 in their game at Failsworth’s reserves.

n In the Manchester League Premier Division Jordan Hussey scored the only goal of Bolton County’s win at Old Alts and the Division Two game between Bolton Lads and Girls Club and Atherton LR Development team ended 2-2.