Cleator Moor Celtic will be staying in the North West Counties Division One North next season.
For while they were beating Steeton 5-1, third bottom Atherton LR were losing 3-1 at Holker Old Boys – a combination which left the west Cumbrians mathematically safe.
Martin Mahone had announced some weeks ago that he was standing down at the end of the season after many years of service to Celtic as player, chairman and manager.
“It’s a great relief to be safe with four matches still to play. I would not have liked to be handing over to Brian Dawson for next season having been relegated.
“It’s been a hard season, with a number of mid-week games, nearly all away, and other times when we were short of players through one reason or another.
“But I knew we had enough ability in the team to get us through if we could get a regular squad consistently together and for the most part, over the last couple of months, that’s what we have been able to do.
“The lads were excellent on Saturday and to win with some style was quite satisfying.
“We can enjoy the last four games without any pressure and see just how far we can finish up the League.”
Currently 11th of 19 teams they go to sixth-placed Nelson tonight which will be the toughest test, especially as they look like having some absentees.
Then it’s Darwen (lying 18th, next to bottom) at home on Saturday; South Liverpool (10th away) and Campion (15th, home).
They had taken the lead on the hour against Steeton through Darren Little and doubled it on the hour with the second from Callum Birdsall.
Jamie Glover lashed home the third on 62 minutes with a great strike from the edge of the area but then Steeton got a whiff of a revival two minutes later.
Jordan Little was ruled to have handled in the area and Toby Jeffrey scored from the spot.
Jake Smith was sin-binned and Celtic looked as though they might wobble.
But a superb header from the popular former Penrith and Gretna defender Mathew Read made it 4-1 on 86 minutes and the points were safe.
There was even the bonus of a fifth goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Birdsall took a good touch, turned and fired home his second to complete a good afternoon’s work.
