TINTWISTLE VILLA 1, ELTON VALE 3: Elton's eagerness to get back into action showed in that the team got to the venue to find they were the first to arrive!

On inspection it became obvious why the previous two attempts to stage this fixture had failed, several areas had deep ruts and attempts to straighten them out had resulted in equally deep tyre tracks.

A game like this was always going to have the potential of a banana skin on Elton's run-in to the end of the season and they had to adapt their game to the conditions and the exuberance of their opponents.

To say that it was a tactical game in the early stages would be an exaggeration, as both sides were happy on the odd occasion that a couple of passes were strung together.

The home side got the first sniff at goal after 10 minutes when a bout of football ping-pong in the Vale area resulted in the home centre forward managing to turn, shoot and bring a good save out of keeper Holland.

The first real piece of football on the day came just five minutes later when Holland collected the ball and threw it out to Lee Dickenson who made his way to the halfway line, his pass inside found Doran who released Dave Malius who made no mistake.

After 25 minutes it was Tintwistle making the goal attempt as the ball got stock in the feet of the Vale defence and squirted free to the home striker but after making ground his shot was woefully wide.

Let a player have enough chances, however, and sooner or later he'll put one away and so it was as the home keeper punted forward and the centre forward was away and this time put the ball away.

The half time talk was more of a spirit-raising exercise to ease the frustrations of not being able to play their normal flowing game.

The Vale players responded in the right manner and played through the second half with a determination that had been lacking in the first.

The stage was really set in the first few minutes as Tintwistle were penned back in their own half and Des Hutchinson could have done better with a header from a Malius cross.

The next real chance fell to Steve Loster as the full-back linked up with Dickinson on the right but his shot went way over.

Twenty minutes into the half Elton's pressure paid dividends as one of numerous free kick conceded by the home side was only half cleared to Stott on the edge of the area, his return ball into the danger area found Dearden hovering on the six yard line, he turned on the proverbial sixpence and despatched the ball into the net.

Five minutes later the game was put beyond the reach of Tintwistle as Keegan forayed forward and laid a ball behind the defence for John Armstrong to cross in for substitute Steve Smith to make it 3-1.

The Elton defenders had effectively put the shutters up at half time and led by Dave Wilkes were in no mood to let the home side back into the game so the three points were gratefully packed into the bag by the Bury side.

The reserve team surrendered their unbeaten sequence to a slick Dukinfield Town side, going down 4-0.