Two Harvey Sample penalties helped Atherton LR to a 4-2 away triumph at Maghull in North West Counties League First Division North after coming from behind on Saturday.

It was a bad start for the visitors just four minutes in when defensive errors let the hosts in and after a cutback, Jacob Till slotted the ball past Joe Bickerstaffe for an early lead.

But LR were level 11 minutes later when the referee spotted a handball in the Maghull box and awarded a penalty, which Sample scored.

Just before half time, Sample was taken down in the box after LR kept applying pressure on the home side and another penalty was awarded, which he was also able to slot past the keeper.

It was a slower start to the second half for both sides but in the 72nd minute a long run down the wing and a lay-off by Nathan Dutton-Kane found Dan Lenehan on the edge of the box, and his curling effort made it 3-1 to the visitors.

However, Maghull were able to capitalise again with a quick attack after the restart to get a goal back through Darren Brannigan.

But only four minutes later LR’s Dave Moore received the ball on the halfway line and ran past five defenders before slotting the ball into the net restore the two-goal cushion.

And that is how it stayed as LR picked up another three points.

Despite the slow start, manager Dave Jones beamed with pride with the outcome and said: “I couldn’t be any prouder of them to be honest.

“We had the setback at Ashton Town, but the lads rolled their sleeves up and said ‘we’re ready to go again and put another run together’ - I am really proud of them.”

LR winger Brandon Dawson added: “We knew we needed to be better in the second half, we’d gotten a bit of a telling off at half time, telling us exactly that, so we’ve come out like a different team, created more chances and put the goals away.”

LR next host Holker Old Boys in a top-of-the-table clash at Crilly Park on Saturday (3pm).