Atherton LR’s men may have missed out on promotion, but it was a proud occasion for everyone at the club nonetheless as the ladies team were crowned champions of the Greater Manchester Women’s Football League Premier Division.

Prior to their match at home to Athletic Middleton, they had a 2-2 draw at the hands of Rochdale on Thursday night leading up to their penultimate game of the season.

Two games were played at Crilly Park - four 30-minute periods all for six points, so needless to say it was a strange one.

The first game began with LR having a dominant opening 20 minutes but they were shocked when a through ball into the box found Middleton’s striker who buried it for a 1-0 lead.

This setback meant as it stood, LR were to fall short of the league title to Middleton.

An uneventful second half kept Middleton on top as LR lacked finishing in the final third.

The whistle blew to end the first game and defeat for the LR ladies narrowed the gap at the top of the table, meaning Atherton went into the next game in a do-or-die decider.

A cagey affair was decided early when a low cross from Mia Woods fell into the middle of the box and a huge scramble for the ball resulted in Codie Holgate smashing it into the back of the net in a season-defining moment for the ladies team.

Middleton did not let up, however, and heavy pressure kept LR’s fans and staff’s breath held.

Some fantastic defending by LR on top of some great saves by Abbey Fitton kept Middleton at bay.

The rest of the game was filled with nerve, but LR kept their composure and when the final whistle went, they were crowned champions.

It means LR’s ladies gain promotion to the North West Women’s Regional League with a decision still to be made on whether they will play in the North or South Division next term.

Assistant manager Jacob Swann emphasised his delight in the team’s achievement and said: “There is relief from me and Jason (Huyton, manager) because it’s exactly what they’ve deserved from the beginning of the season.

“As they say, you can coach shooting, passing but what you can’t coach is a will to win.”

And on the team’s objective for next season: “Just keep going forwards,” he added.

Swann showed his appreciation to the players brought in this year and said: “You don’t attract players with the qualities of Sophie (Sumner) or the quality of Jasmine (Ripley) if there’s no club.

“People will come away from today talking about LR.

“We know we’re worthy of being in there (NWWFL), in terms of us as a team and a club, we want to keep growing.

“The only way is forward for us.”

The title caps off an incredible season for LR’s Ladies and there is still a chance for glory for the men’s first team as well in the Bolton Hospital Cup - with a quarter-final date with Hindsford on Thursday night - and also the LR Under-18s, who have both the league and the Syndicate Youth Cup final to finish with.