Carrion charge gathering pace

Royton's Stephen Palfreyman (right) tackles Carrion's Aaron Turner

OLDHAM SUNDAY LEAGUE
CARRION Crow enhanced their promotion prospects in the Martin Buckley Second Division of the Midas Plumbing Oldham Sunday League with victory over Royton Athletic at Clayton playing fields.

And Crow manager Lee Harrison reckons his side needs just one more win to secure that promotion.

Harrison said: "I said to the lads after the match that every one of our five games we have left is like a cup final to us.

"One more win should do it, but it would be good to win as many as we can and go on to win the title.

"We got drawn into a bit of a scrap in the first half but in the second we got the ball down and showed that bit of extra quality that was lacking earlier."

Meanwhile, Athletic player-secretary Anthony Muir is confident his side can avoid the drop into the basement division.

Muir said: "I was quite disappointed that we lost the game as up until their second goal we were in it.

"Our heads went down after that second goal and the third killed us off.

"We have four games in hand on the teams above us and we have enough about us to stay up."

Daniel Fitzhugh gave Crow the lead after 14 minutes with a smart finish from 12 yards, before Stephen Palfreyman got on the end of a long punt up-field from goalkeeper Aaron Barclay to drill the ball home superbly from the edge of the Crow area.

Calum Beckett pounced to make it 2-1 to Crow 20 minutes into the second half with a crisp, low drive from 16 yards.

And Beckett turned provider shortly afterwards when his astute ball fell invitingly for Kevin Knowles to finish from just inside the box.

The two sides will meet again on Sunday in the reverse fixture at Snipe Clough.
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