DIRE away form has cost Eagley any realistic chance of promotion this season, though they banished their travel-sickness on Saturday.

The Eagles returned from their assignment at Askam United after enjoying a 6-2 victory, only their second away league win of a trying campaign.

Only three sides in Division One have taken fewer points on the road than Simon Whaley’s men, meaning a first-time return to the top flight has proved beyond them this term.

For the player-manager, a strong finish to the season, and possibly cup success, is all they have left to fight for this season after their struggles on the road and a four-point deduction for fielding the ineligible Matty Leatham.

“Saturday’s was a really good win for us,” he said ahead of their scheduled game at home to bottom club Mill Hill St Peters last night.

“It shows what we are able to do when we have a full-strength team available, we had a full hit and got a deserved 6-2 win.

“It was always going to be the case we would be expected to be up there after coming down from the Premier Division but it’s a big ask for us to make up the ground now.

“This season has been an eye-opener, for the club and for myself, on the standard of this division.

“We’ve come up against some very good teams and I’ve been pleased with our home form, it’s away from home where we’ve struggled.”

Saturday proved an eye-opening exception to that rule, with Jon Stevenson netting a hat-trick against their Cumbrian hosts and Nick Haynes, Danny Holroyd and Whaley himself also on target for his 25th goal of the season.

But they made it harder for themselves than their player-manager would have liked, squandering a two-goal lead before they regained control.

“We had changed the team and the structure a bit and we were 2-0 up and cruising,” he said.

“But we let ourselves get pegged back and it was 2-2 at half time. I’m proud of them for the way they came back out and won it, though.

“It’s not always easy to get the lads together for away games on cold and windy Saturday afternoons, the case in point being Saturday, which was a two-hour journey to get there. It can be farcical and it makes it very difficult, especially when you don’t really have anything to play for in the league.

“We still have the Hospital Cup this season, we have been drawn against Old Boltonians at home, so that’s one we’ll look forward to.

“Again, it’s been difficult to fit these matches in when we have glorious sunshine one day and hours of rain the next.

“We’ll carry on and hope for better fortunes and look to bring a few new faces in over the summer.

“If you look at teams like Poulton in our league they are building a very good club and at Eagley we are slowly starting to get that structure together which we think will pay off in time but it’s a long process.”

Elsewhere, there were semi-final defeats for Tempest United and Ladybridge.

Premier Division side Tempest were defeated 3-2 at Garstang in the Richardson Cup, while Ladybridge – still riding high in Division Two – suffered a 5-1 loss in their Challenge Cup final-four tie at home to Millom.

n In the Lancashire Amateur League, Old Boltonians surrendered top spot in the

Premier Division table following a 2-2 draw at champions Failsworth Dynamos.

It was Old Bolts’ second draw in a row – Steve Eccleshare’s side had needed Sean Rushton’s late equaliser to grab a point last Thursday against Prestwich – and that opened the door for Mostonians, who took advantage in emphatic style, taking pole position with an 11-0 win against Rochdale St Clements.

They now sit a point ahead of Old Bolts who have played a game more.

Little Lever stay in the hunt but, despite a 4-1 win at Prestwich, are seven points off the pace and have played three games more than Mostonians.

Blackrod were beaten 2-0 by visitors Rossendale.