ATHERTON Collieries kept up their title challenge with a well-deserved 2-0 win at home to Chasetown.

Chasetown were the 126th unique and most southernly opposition to visit the Skuna in league action since Colls made the leap into non-league pyramid football in 1971.

The Scholars have real non-league pedigree with the major highlight being a run to the third round of the FA Cup in 2007/08.

This campaign has seen them slowly but they were now running into a tidy spell of form as they came to Atherton.

Colls made three changes from the starting XI which won at Mossley a fortnight earlier.

Danny Lafferty was overseas and Ben Conway was in New Zealand, having signed for Wainuiomata FC earlier in the week. Matty Grimshaw and Connor Gaul were their trusty replacements, while James Kirby came in for Dave Sherlock, with new signings Jamie Pollitt and Chris Cheetham on the bench.

Prior to the game the team received the Bowland Brewery Evo-Stik West Club of the Month award for January.

The hosts almost made a dream start as Ben Hardcastle crossed to Gaul at the far post and his point-blank downward header was miraculously saved by the feet of Curtis Pond.

This was, by a country mile, the best opportunity of an attritional opening period where both teams had spells of control.

Former Bacup and Rossendale Borough creator Danny Cocks caused problems down the left flank but the Colls rearguard were disciplined and snuffed out any potential dangers.

With the Chasetown defence coping equally well with what Colls had thrown at them the sides turned around goalless.

Within seconds of the restart Colls lit the blue touch-paper.

Play moved from left to right of the Chasetown final third before Kirby hit gold, shooting across Pond, much to the delight of the home supporters who were still streaming out of the clubhouse.

Within a minute Chasetown were celebrating an equaliser, Tom Hill’s header froma whipped-in free kick chalked off by an offside flag.

Pond again showed his quality with an out-of-this-world save from Gaul before the hosts doubled their advantage on the hour.

Gaul again turned his defender inside out, his deep cross seeing man-of-the-match Kirby strike the ball into the ground and loop over both Ian Rowlands and a helpless Pond before nestling in the far reaches of the net.

The hosts were now in control and Adam Farrell was denied on a couple of occasions by Pond before Josh Peet smashed a screamer narrowly over.

The vital victory for Collieries was richly deserved and they maintain their six-point lead over second-placed Runcorn Linnets.