LOSTOCK will not finish the season with any trophies but victory tomorrow would complete a successful season.
The Chew Moor side need one victory from their last two matches to make certain of preserving their place in the top tier of the Bolton League.
As the only side from the old Bolton Association to be competing in the higher division they were understandably one of the favourites to be relegated this season.
But they have competed admirably again, as they did last season when they finished in the top half of the 21-team league which split into two divisions at the end of the season.
In reality, it would be a surprise if they went down even if they lost both their last games, as either Eagley or Heaton would have to win both theirs and they have four tough games between them.
Lostock, who also have two of the top teams to face, cannot afford to leave anything to chance and captain Geoff Earle wants one more big effort at home to Farnworth tomorrow – similar to what they produced in beating Walkden at the same ground last Saturday.
“It would be a fantastic achievement to stay up,” he said.
“That was a big win over Walkden.
“We were not doing too well and we were dug out by Robert Holgate and Mark Cregan who had a partnership of nearly 100 and we backed it up with the bowling.
“David Flanagan took five wickets and Tom Sheen and Rob (Holgate) two each.
“It’s close now and we would rather sew it up as soon as possible by winning on Saturday.
“Farnworth have obviously just won the league and it will be tough game. We have to make sure everyone is fully motivated.
“Everyone has got something to play for and we will be bang up for it on Saturday.
“At the start of the season we knew we would be in a relegation battle when we got to this stage of the season so we were prepared for it.
“If you had said at the start of the season that we had to win one game from the last two to stay up we would have taken it.
“The club’s got to keep building. It’s the first season with our new ground and if we can stay up that will give us another year’s experience in the top division playing against the best teams which means the players can only get better with that kind of experience.”
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