BOLTON will have three teams battling in the Premier Division next season, with CMB joining Turton and Tempest in the top flight.

In their final outing of the Division One season, Rob Pennington’s men collected the point they needed to secure their passage to the Premier with a 1-1 draw at Hawcoat Park on Saturday.

They are hoping Lostock St Gerards can do them a favour – avoiding defeat will mean CMB are the champions – when Lytham Town, who are two points adrift, complete their fixtures against them a week on Saturday, but the manager says they are still on course to achieve their objectives from last summer – promotion, plus some silverware.

CMB still have Lostock – who are only out of contention because of a six-point deduction – to face once more themselves before the end of their successful campaign, in the President’s Cup final on April 30. And the potential Division One champions will face off against the Lancashire Amateur League Division One winners, Bolton Wyresdale, in the Hospital Cup tomorrow night.

“We feel this really is a club on the up,” said Pennington. “We missed out on promotion by goal difference last season, us and two other teams finished on the same points but they had better goal differences so we finished outside the promotion places.

“We started this season badly, partly because of that disappointment, and we’ve suffered with our share of injuries but we’ve got a pretty settled side now, and we’ve only lost two games since the start of September.

“The lads have had a real attitude where they graft and show a real desire to grind out results. Some of our performances haven’t merited them but their fitness is colossal and we’ve managed to put the work in to get the results we needed. It’s a fantastic achievement.

“We know we need a favour from Lostock when Lytham go there but Lytham have to win and Lostock are a very good team, they’ve been unbeaten at home for the last two seasons, so we’ll have a few going along supporting them next week before we play them in the final.”

CMB took care of their own business on Saturday in a tough final fixture at Hawcoat. Once again, they were not at their best but collected the point they needed to ensure they cannot finish outside the top two.

Matty Chapman put the visitors ahead in Cumbria but Hawcoat equalised 13 minutes from time with a fine strike from 30 yards.

That set up a nail-biting end to the season for Pennington and his men but, aided by captain Daniel Crook’s leadership and the experience of former Bury striker Andy Bishop, they held out to make sure the promotion party could start.

“We were in cruise control for the first half hour,” added the manager. “Matty scored to put us 1-0 up, and he missed a decent chance before half time too, but he has got 14 in 20 games for us this year so he’s done very well. He’s still only an 18-year-old so he can only get better.

“As the game went on we let the memories of missing out last year get to us a bit, and don’t forget Hawcoat are a very good team as well. They had to get something to keep their own promotion chances alive so they went for it and they caught us out with their goal.

“There were chances for both sides late on but, if I’m honest, if anyone deserved to get the winner it was them. But we got what we needed, Callum Yearsley was our man of the match, Will Archer was instrumental, a great organiser, and Daniel pulled us through.

“Andy might not be as young as he was but what he hasn’t lost is the ability to hold the ball up, and he is still first-class in front of goal.

“He’s a massive player for us, he never complains, he helps everyone else out and he’s the easiest player in the world to manage.

“The lads’ spirit is unbreakable, they gave everything, I’m really proud of them and what they’ve achieved, and hopefully what they will achieve in the cups this season.”

Two teams CMB will face next term, Tempest and Turton, both had wins on Saturday.

Tempest beat Whitehaven 3-0 at home, with Nathan Monson, Sheldon Priest and Elliott Hallwood scoring, while Luke Bradbury and Emmanual Yoak got the goals in Turton’s 2-1 victory at Haslingden St Mary’s.

Eagley eased to a 3-0 home win against Kendal County, Danny Holroyd, Bailey Wallace and Simon Neary scoring.

Horwich St Mary’s Victoria won their final match in Division Two 3-1 at Longridge reserves. Danny Holmes’ side must now hope Croston Sports do not win their final match by a seven-goal margin to snatch the title away from them.

In the LAL Premier Division Blackrod Town lost 4-1 at old Mancunians but Thornleigh progressed in the League Cup with a 3-1 win at home to Chaddertonians.

In the Manchester League there were no goals in the match between Bolton County and Gregorians, while Breightmet were defeated 2-0 at Astley and Tyldesley.

Hallmark Security League First Division North sides Daisy Hill and Atherton LR both lost on Saturday.

LR were beaten 3-0 at home by St Helen’s Town while the Daisies led at Steeton through Nicholas Hepple but then shipped six goals without reply.