Turton 1, ELTON VALE 2: Clubs do not particularly look forward to local derbies in the early rounds of County competitions and indeed hope to pick up one of the many "pigeons" that are on offer in the first round.

Turton and Elton do not fall into the winged classification, so a contest was on the cards.

Turton had the recent advantage between the two clubs, winning handsomely in the Bolton Hospitals Cup semi-final last season.

The Turton side is not the same this year with more than a smattering of youth on the field.

They do, however, hold a superior position in the football pyramid hierarchy which could say the advantage was with them.

Elton have overcome a poor start to the season and had reeled off four wins with only one goal conceded.

The game started on the best of notes for the home side as it took them only four minutes to get on the score sheet as they caught the Vale defenders flat-footed with a short corner and a neat ball from the bye line which was headed powerfully into the net.

The play was end-to-end as both clubs had a certain amount of success at going forward to worry the opposing defence.

It was Elton that got the vital breakthrough after quarter of an hour when Leon Davies got away down the left wing and delivered a powerful cross to the head of the onrushing Doran.

Steve Doran in the opposing penalty area is one thing, but scoring with his head? This is one for the archive.

Both sides knew that the next goal could be crucial and as the home side became frustrated at the success of the Elton offside trap, the Vale men started to put some nice passing combinations together in midfield and down the flanks.

It was a piece of individual pace that found Stubbs in a shooting position and although his shot beat Marsh it crashed against the post and away to safety.

The second half was a reverse image of the first as it was Elton that got a telling goal inside five minutes.

Tom Stubbs, in possession on the right corner of the penalty box outpaced his man from a standing start and was left with a clear route to goal.

The ball this time went under the keeper and into the net.

Turton did still get a fair share of the ball and some of their players were confident in possession, but the Elton back line of Loster, Wilkes Berry and Pickering aided by good harassment from Doran and Stott were often too quick and strong for the home side.

Elton did in fact look more dangerous as their confidence grew and created a number of chances, the best falling to Doran who was caught in two minds to put in the unmarked Malius or chip the advancing Marsh.

In the end he failed to do either.

The tie was concluded with five minutes on the clock when Pickering took advantage of the opening that appeared in front of him to advance 30 yards and fire home an unstoppable shot from about the same distance.

l The reserve side finished on the opposite side of a 3-1 score line against Gregorians reserves when the teams both finished with nine men.

Just goes to show that the referee is always right - even if nobody else agrees with him.