ATHERTON Colls could call in a secret weapon once again if their FA Vase odyssey is to continue at Cleethorpes.

Micheal Clegg enlisted the help of ex-Wanderers striker Kevin Davies before their historic fourth round victory at Shildon on Saturday, which booked their place in the last 16.

The former England striker helped hatch a game-plan to beat the competition favourites, and last season’s Northern Premier League winners, based on some extensive homework compiled by Clegg and his staff.

“We wanted to make sure our preparation was as good as it could be,” he told The Bolton News. “Kev came in to do a session with the lads and it was brilliant – we went through all the scouting reports and came up with a way we thought we could beat them. And it worked!

“Speaking with the lads up there at Shildon, they said that they don’t spend much time worrying about how other people play, it is all about what they do on the day. We felt that maybe because they have a much bigger budget that they took us a little bit for granted.”

Colls face Cleethorpes on Saturday, January 28, and have now been installed alongside the Grimsby-based North Counties East side as joint-fourth favourites to lift the vase at Wembley.

BetVictor are offering 12-1 on the Alder House men going all the way and Davies has been mightily impressed with what he has seen of the side so far.

“I think Cleggy has done a terrific job there,” he said. “I’ve got to know him quite a bit through Nicky Hunt, who spends a bit of time down there and I trained with them myself to keep fit in the summer.

“They are a good bunch and I always keep an eye on the results.

“They asked if I could look over some of the reports they’d had done on Shildon and then come down and do 45 minutes or an hour on team shape and things like that, so I was happy to help out. I was delighted to hear they’d got through.

“They didn’t need much input from me – they know what they are doing – but I’ll help them however I can. It would be nice to see them get success because they do a lot of work down there in getting the local youngsters involved.”

Colls had previously beaten Jarrow Roofing, 1874 Northwich and Penrith to set up their big game on Saturday, taking 150 fans up to the North East for a thrilling 4-1 victory.

They managed to avoid Vase favourites South Shields but come up against a team who are top of the league, having dropped just two points in 13 home games this season.

“They are a good side,” said Clegg after the draw. “I know the coaching staff at Bootle who played them in an earlier round and they said they were unlucky not to beat them but there are no easy games left at this stage, are there?

“It’s crazy to think that a club of our size can even be thinking about Wembley. It’s very much a case of ‘see how far we can go.’

“When I walked in here we had 40 fans turn up for a game against Holker but now we’re taking 150 on the coach up to a place like Shildon.

“It is very humbling but the lads have been great. Our Whatsapp threat was going great guns up to the draw but all of a sudden someone said ‘that’s it, excitement over, let’s get ready for Didsbury on Saturday.’ That’s what this lot are like.”