EAGLEY are looking to enjoy a better season next time round, as they embark on a new era without Simon Whaley.

The manager recently ended his near four-year stint at the helm, with his assistant Craig Coote taking over until the end of the campaign.

And although promotion back to the Premier Division is beyond their reach, and their defence of the Hospital Cup ended at the first hurdle, the Eagles can still make it a season to look back on with fondness.

Coote, backed by Olly Clarke and Mark Carroll, has been handed the torch and will oversee the remaining league game against local rivals Stoneclough, as well as the small matter of the Atherton Cup final next month.

A 2-1 victory over Cheshire League side Daten in the semi-final at Atherton Collieries’ Skuna Stadium means they will face Manchester League Premier Division leaders Hindsford for the trophy, most likely in the first weekend of May.

And while committee members are keen to see what interest there is in becoming Whaley’s permanent successor, Coote is making a good fist of putting himself firmly in the frame, following a 3-0 win at home to Kendal Town and Saturday’s win at Ulverston, in which Bailey Wallace hit the only goal of the game.

“Craig has agreed to lead the team until the end of the season,” said club official Colin Whaley, following Saturday’s victory in Cumbria. “He’s done very well, he’s won the last two league games and got us through the semi-final of the Atherton Cup. He knows the club, knows the players very well and he’s kept things going.

“Craig, Olly and Mark have been as good as gold, they’re just the kind of people you need at a club, they’re very willing, very capable and they’ve been keeping things ticking over.

“Simon will always be welcome at Eagley, he did so much for the club since he took over from Alex Harvey four years ago. He got an established side together, with good lads who gelled as a team.

“We perhaps lacked that little bit of extra quality at times this season but we’re hoping to keep most of the lads together and push on next year.

“He just needed to take some time for himself and for his family and he felt he couldn’t commit to the club as much as he would like to have done and as much as he needed to do.

“We won the Hospital Cup under Simon last season so he’s done a great job and we expect we’ll see him back here from time to time.”

Looking to the immediate future, Eagley could avoid being overtaken by seventh-placed Stoneclough – the team that knocked them out of this year’s Hospital Cup – with victory when the two sides meet again on Easter Monday.

And Colin Whaley feels a top-six finish, coupled with silverware in the Atherton Cup, could make this season, riddled with inconsistency, a memorable one after all.

“If we beat Stoneclough we’ll realistically finish sixth, or maybe fifth,” he said. “And though we would consider we should have done better than that, we lost a number of games we shouldn’t have done.

“We feel we could have been up there with the likes of CMB and Lytham who are going up this year, and both are very deserving.

“We have to congratulate them and hopefully we can soon join them in the Premier Division, where we feel we believe the club deserves to be.

“We just lost too many games to be up there, if you have nine defeats in 23 games you can’t really be challenging. But if we can finish in the top six and win the Atherton Cup that’s not a bad season for us.”

n Those interested in applying to be the next manager of Eagley’s first team should send a brief introduction and contact details via email to colin@eagley-fc.co.uk for more information.

In the Premier Division, Tempest United collected a point from a 2-2 home draw with Poulton, with Tom Booth and Liam Rice on the scoresheet.

There were home defeats for the two local sides in the Hallmark Security League First Division North, with Daisy Hill beaten 2-1 by Carlisle City and Atherton LR defeated 3-0 by Cleator Moor Celtic.

In the Lancashire Amateur League, Thornleigh ensured they will play Premier Division football again next season, a 2-1 win at Old Mancunians meaning they are safe from the threat of relegation.

Blackrod Town remain in trouble, however, as they stay second-bottom after their 4-1 loss at leaders Whitworth Valley.

With promotion from Division One already in the bag, Bolton Wyresdale confirmed the title with a 3-2 victory over Accrington Amateurs, the reserves also marking the club’s 125th anniversary with the Division Three title and the A team promoted from Division Five as runners-up.

Bolton County had a goalless draw at Springhead in the Manchester League Premier Division, but there were heavy defeats for Bolton Lads and Girls Club and Breightmet United.

BLGC suffered a 14-0 loss to visitors Tintwistle Athletic and Breightmet were hit for six by Avro reserves without mustering a reply.