THE Premier Division’s big winners were Little Lever, who kept the pressure on at the top with a 9-1 thrashing of Howe Bridge Mills.

The division’s bottom side were overrun by Craig Bingham’s rampant side on a day when virtually everything they touched turned to goal.

Saturday’s thumping moved Little Lever five points behind Old Boltonians – the table-toppers having played two games fewer – and Bingham has not yet given up on his team snaring the title ahead of their local rivals and Rossendale, who can overhaul the leaders with their games in hand.

“We’re five points behind Old Bolts and ahead of Rossendale,” said the Little Lever manager.

“But they have plenty of games in hand so all we can do is take each game as it comes. If we can keep winning we’ll see where that gets us and see what happens at the end of the season.

“Old Bolts and Rossendale still have to play each other twice.

“To be honest, I’m not really sure what results would suit us best from those games but that will help us. We’ll just keep going.

“We’re buzzing for the last 10 games, we’re looking to go out and win each one, we won’t be looking for any draws.”

There seemed little doubt they would take home the points from Howe Bridge, who prop up the Premier Division with just two wins all season.

Matty Woods scored four goals, each one from outside the penalty area, to take his season’s tally to 10, and Ryan Talbot stayed one ahead of him in the club’s goalscoring charts by netting a hat-trick in the second half.

Bingham himself and Austin Almond, who has made a successful transition from the second team, were also on target for Lever, whose only downside from Saturday was a late consolation for the hosts that they remain convinced was yards offside.

“They weren’t a terrible team but they look like they’ve given up on this season, and I imagine they’ll go down,” added Bingham, whose side host 11th-placed Prestwich this Saturday.

“We were really on the ball and it was just one of those games where everything we hit seemed to go in, they play on a 3G pitch and it doesn’t really suit their style of play. It did us a favour last season when we beat them 7-0 too.

“We had talked before the game about the importance of not being complacent, as we have sometimes been against some struggling teams, but we played high-pressure

football for 90 minutes.

“We were 4-0 up at half time and Rhys [Day, co-manager] said to them if we didn’t have at least eight at the end he’d have been unhappy.

“Meanwhile Ryan was sulking because he’d not got a goal, so then he went out and hit three!

“It was a good day and if we can carry on like that we’ll just see where it takes us.”

Old Boltonians’ crunch clash at home to Rossendale and the derby between Blackrod Town and Horwich St Marys Victoria were both postponed.

In Division One, Bolton Wyresdale’s home game with Rochdale St Clements Reserves also fell foul of the weather.

n In the Manchester Football League Premier Division, Bolton County beat current champions Rochdale Sacred Heart 2-1 with goals from Alex Todd and Liam Short.