ATROCIOUS playing conditions and the distraction of fireworks going off all round the ground, failed to deter either side last night as they put on a super show.

Boro came out on top in the UniBond Division One game but the result could have gone either way.

The vital score came on 17 minutes when a corner from the right was missed by LR keeper Andy Hills and Peter McRae climbed to head home.

That there were no more goals in the game was down to some resolute defending, superb keeping and the width of the woodwork. Twice LR had the woodwork rattling through Lee Cryer and Mark Stewart and Boro goalkeeper Andy Johnston pulled off a breathtaking save to turn Paul Griffin's stinging shot onto a post. Ian Lunt almost made it two for Boro .

Jon Senior, in his first game back after a knee injury picked up the Man of the Match award for Boro with Steve Iley being voted as the outstanding player for LR.

Boro secretary David Murgatroyd says: "The game was a credit to both sets of players. With all the fireworks it was a bit like playing in the centre of Beirut!" ATHERTON COLLS face Salford City at Alder House tonight in the NWCL Division One with joint managers Steve Walton and Ian Lamb hoping that midfielder Rob Hilton will have recovered from his recent bout of flu.

Club skipper Steve Wallace looks to be regaining full fitness after a calf strain and played the last 20 minutes of Saturday's home game with Chadderton when he scrambled in the equaliser in a 2-2 draw six minutes into injury time.

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