BREIGHTMET United manager Simon Wilcox was delighted with Saturday’s 2-1 victory away to Boothstown – the team he regards as the “best footballing side in Division One”.

The victory saw the Moss Park side leapfrog their opponents into sixth place in the table, but Wilcox admitted being relieved to get a positive reaction from his players in the second half.

“We weren’t at our best in the first half and they were knocking the ball around well, as they do, and were playing around us,” the United boss said.

“But we switched things around at half time and went out and gave it an extra bit of quality and an extra zest and it paid off.”

Centre-back Michael Locke scrambled the opening goal from a set-piece 20 minutes after the break and Kyle Bailey doubled Breightmet’s advantage when he latched onto a poor clearance by the home keeper and lobbed a shot back over his head form 35 yards.

Boothstown pulled a goal back two minutes from time from a penalty conceded by Kurt Farlow, but United held out for a welcome three points.

“Football-wise we nullified each other but we edged it on passion, workrate and desire in the second half,” Wilcox added.

Leigh Athletic lie one place ahead of Breightmet in the table after underlining their promotion aspirations with a 5-0 home win against fourth-placed Irlam Town – their fourth win on the trot.

Playing their best football of the season, they handled the physical approach of the visitors, leading 3-0 at half time with goals from Danny Easton and two from Tim Lewis.

Lewis completed his hat-trick in the second half and after Irlam went down to 10 men after their substitute was sent of for two yellow cards in quick succession, Neil Sumner netted the fifth.

Pennington’s players earned plaudits after their 3-0 defeat at league leaders Old Alts.

Hammered 11-3 by Heywood the previous week, they produced a performance of character, despite conceding two goals in the opening half hour.

Criticised for collapsing the previous week, they held firm and although they conceded a third 10 minutes after the break, they kept the home side in check and had chances near the end to have at least pulled one goal back.

“We asked the lads to show some character and at 2-0 down they could easily have folded,” said club secretary Dave Farrington. “But they didn’t and they battled well and could have had the reward of a goal at the end.”

Premier Division champions Hindsford were the architects opf their own dowmfall as they went down 1-0 at home to old rivals AVRO.

A defensive mistake on the half hour gifted the visitors a goal and, despite their best efforts, the Squires Lane men were unable to rescue the situation.

Hindsford were without brothers and fellow striker Tom and Jack Valentine, who were both starting three-match suspensions and 45-year-old manager Barry Massey was pressed into service as a substitute late in the first half.

Although fifth in the table, they have games in hand on leaders Wythemshawe Amateurs which could put them in top spot, but Massey is aiming to strengthen his hand with new signings this week to cover for absentees.

“It wasn’t that we were outplayed on Saturday,” Massey said. “We were punished for one blunder and it just didn’t go for us at the other end.”

Atherton Town again paid for a lack of cutting edge when they went down to a 2-0 defeat at Manchester Gregorians.

A goal down after five minutes, they dominated long spells of the game but failed to make it count and were caught on the break late on as they pressed for an equaliser, which was harsh on 16-year-old stand-in keeper Jay Rigg, who had an impressive game.

“We played some really nice stuff and Shane Heaton, who was making his debut, and Ryan Corbett both went close to scoring,” said manager Shaun Lynch.

“We haven’t scored in three games now but it’s not as though we haven’t created chances.

“We just have to be more clinical.”