Cleator Moor Celtic continued their climb up the North West Counties league table with a fine 4-1 win at Chadderton.
Although still third bottom, Celtic are moving in the right direction, and manager Martin Mahone has been able to put out a strong side in recent games.
He said: “We were in control from the first minute and the points were in the bag well before they got a late consolation.
“I suppose that was the only disappointment because we haven’t been able to keep clean sheets. We have been putting our chances away, which we hadn’t, but have still been conceding goals.
“However the win just underlined what I’ve been saying. If we get our strongest team out we can take on anybody in the League and give them a game.”
Chadderton were in seventh place in the League but they were outplayed by a vibrant Celtic side who got off to a great start with a goal on six minutes. Tom Mahone swung in a corner and Jay Wetherill headed home from close range.
Ten minutes later Celtic doubled their lead when the home keeper committed an absolute howler by clearing straight to Callum Birdsall who punished him accordingly.
Chadderton offered little and on 19 minutes the visitors made it 3-0. Kyle Graham beat two men in mid-field, fed Tom Ward out wide and his cross was finished clinically by Wetherill.
Five minutes after the break Celtic scored again. This time it was Jack Hunter who got on the end of a Ward corner and headed home.
There was a brief moment of success for Chadderton on 68 minutes to dent Celtic’s clean-sheet hopes but they never threatened again as the Cumbrians saw out another important win.
It means they climb up to third bottom with a better goal difference than Daisy Hill, although from a game more.
Celtic now can look forward to three successive home games. They have their first home mid-week game on Tuesday against fourth-in-the-table Pilkington; host Ashton Town on Saturday and a week on Wednesday they entertain Keswick in the second round of the County Cup.
