Atherton LR 3 Congleton Town 1 A PROFESSIONAL performance earned Atherton LR a 3-1 home win over Congleton Town and a place in the second round of the Unifilla Cup.

Recent slip ups against lower placed clubs were eventually forgotten but not before rock bottom Congleton had given them a fright.

Town took the lead after only four minutes when LR keeper Andy Hills failed to hold a long range shot and Neil Williams followed in to tap home.

LR equalised on 20 minutes when Lee Cryer put Gavin McDonald in to beat a defender and fire home.

Rovers went in front seven minutes later when Paul Burrows and Tony Pemberton opened up the defence for Joey Dunn to finish at the far post.

Six minutes into the second half Mark Stewart combined with Pemberton on the left before crossing to the far post for Hi-Tek man of the match Paul Burrows to get the third. Atherton Colls 1

Squires Gate 1 ATHERTON Colls' joint manager Steve Walton heaved a sigh of relief after his side was surprisingly held 1-1 at home in the NWCL Division Two by lowly Squires Gate.

"It looked like being one of those games where you just get nothing." he said. "We had chances galore but just couldn't finish. We hit a post and put them under pressure but still with no goals to show for it. Paul Cameron even missed a penalty. They even had a man sent off and still we couldn't make the most of it.

"Then with 15 minutes left they hit us on the break and I thought that was going to be it.

"We brought on substitute Mike Lewis and thankfully he got the equaliser with only five minutes left."

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