Atherton Collieries battled to a memorable 1-0 win against Greater Manchester rivals FC United of Manchester in a closely-fought NPL Premier Division contest at the Skuna Stadium on Saturday.

Snowfall over the weekend and heavy rain throughout the game set up a feisty clash in difficult conditions, with Jay Fitzmartin’s first half free-kick proving to be the difference for Brad Cooke’s side.

To the visitors’ credit, they pushed Colls all the way, despite being reduced to 10 men in the second half.

Four changes to the Colls line-up saw Clive Smith, Gaz Peet, Oli Brown and Ben Hardcastle return to the side, the Black and Whites starting the game on the front foot with captain Danny Lafferty’s header forcing Dan Lavercombe into an early save down at his near post.

Fitzmartin gave a glimpse of things to come with a free-kick that dipped narrowly over the bar, before Jack Lenehan saw an effort well-blocked from close range.

Injury saw Colls forced into an early change when battling defender Luca Defreitas-Hansen was forced to make way for Marcus Cusani.

Then, a clumsy trip on Lenehan on the edge of the area set up another dead-ball opportunity for Fitzmartin and this time the winger made no mistake, curling a superb effort around the wall and into bottom the right-hand corner, earning a booking for removing his shirt in the celebrations.

FC United grew into the game as the half wore on with Mackenzie Chapman called into action to tip Keegan Hartley’s long-range drive over the bar.

Tempers frayed before the half-time whistle as Brown escaped with a yellow card after a hefty challenge on Matt Van Wyk down by the touchline.

The game reached a flashpoint after the break with half-time subsitute Faz Sanagre receiving an early bath for kicking out at Cusani in front of the dugouts. The resulting fracas saw heated exchanges between both sets of players and staff, with Lafferty earning himself a booking in the process.

Despite the man disadvantage, FC United dug in and made life difficult for the Colls following the red card.

Fitzmartin missed a great chance to put the game to bed after Bailey Thompson slipped him in on goal, but his effort was well-denied by the feet of Lavercombe from close-range.

With the visitors pushing for an equaliser as the rain hammered down, Chapman once again proved dependable between the sticks, turning Luke Griffith’s swerving free-kick on to the woodwork.

Colls continued to threaten on the counter, Arran Pettifer blazing over after a promising breakaway.

Both sides saw chances in the dying stages, with Paul Ennis denied by the in-form Chapman in the Colls goal before Fitzmartin saw a pair of one-on-one opportunities thwarted in the final seconds.

Ultimately, it was Colls’ day, as they claimed a valuable three points and a memorable home-and-away double over their Greater Manchester rivals.

On Saturday, the Stripes visit Ashton United (3pm).