HORWICH St Mary’s Victoria, Blackrod and Old Boltonians are involved in an all-Bolton three-way battle for second place in the Premier Division.

With Failsworth Dynamos showing no sign of relenting in their pursuit of a second successive title, it is looking like the run-in is going to feature an intriguing fight for the runners-up spot.

Only seven points separate Victoria in second and Old Bolts in fourth, although Vics have played three more games than Blackrod and five more than Old Bolts.

Saturday’s only winners of the three were Old Bolts, and they did not play well, according to manager Steve Eccleshare.

“We looked like we just thought we could turn up and win the game,” he said of his players after a 4-2 victory over bottom club Howe Bridge Mills.

“It doesn’t work that way and we never got started.

“The first half was a horrible, horrible game, absolutely dire. We were 1-0 down and I couldn’t watch any more so I was going for a brew just before half time and we got a penalty.

“Jamie Darby was fouled and Darren Dalton scored.

“We couldn’t go on like we had in the first half so we shuffled things around so we had to go for goals – draws are no good in our position.

“Leon Farrimond broke and put it past the keeper then they got a penalty to make it 2-2.

“With about 15 minutes to go our players started to take it seriously, which was a bit of a shame they hadn’t done it earlier, and Darren [Dalton] got two more for his hat-trick.

“He found space in the box twice for two similar goals.

“We’d had 13 wins and a draw up to Saturday and when teams come up against you with that kind of record they all want to beat you.

“Howe Bridge were the better team in the first half but we turned it around and in the end it was job done.

“We want to keep winning and if we can’t win it then get that second place.”

Blackrod have the same target and showed they are a match for anybody in their first season in the Premier Division with a good performance in a 2-1 defeat at leaders Failsworth.

Matthew Davies gave the Bolton men the lead midway through the first half when he nipped in ahead of the goalkeeper to head a deep cross into the net.

A funny bounce on the 4G pitch deceived the Blackrod keeper to help the home side score an equaliser before the winner came a few minutes later.

“The lads had a bad five minutes,” said manager Jack Paton. “It was pretty even apart from that. We had a couple of chances towards the end where we could have got a draw and we didn’t give much away at the back.

“The lads were gutted to lose but we move on. We’re having a good season and we want to finish second if we can in a competitive league.”

Victoria went down 1-0 at 12-placed Tottington United

Second is almost certainly beyond sixth-placed Little Lever, but they have ambitions to keep rising the table ahead of a push for the title next season.

They took three points home from ninth-placed Oldham Hulmeians on Saturday with a 2-1 victory in a match memorable for a piece of genius by Matty Woods which led to the winning goal.

“I just can’t explain it,” said manager Matt Barnes. “He beat a man with an unreal piece of skill then beat two more to score probably the goal of the season.”

Craig Bingham looped a header over the home keeper from a long, pinpoint free kick by Little Lever keeper Danny Holland to give his side an early lead before Oldham equalised on 35 minutes and Woods won it shortly after.

“The target now is to finish the season unbeaten,” said Barnes. “We want a good last five games and next season has got to be a real title push.”