BACUP Borough boss Brent Peters paid tribute to his players as they thumped Maine Road 5-0 to win the North West Counties League Challenge Cup.

A plethora of rearranged games have left Bacup to cope with a marathon fixture list in recent days but it had no effect as they cruised to victory over fellow Premier Division opposition.

Jamie Adam broke the deadlock just after the half hour mark when he curled home a superb free kick.

It was 2-0 on the stroke of half time as Maine Road’s Joseph Armstrong diverted the ball into his own net and a third goal arrived on 63 minutes when Daniel Cocks was tripped in the box and Adrian Bellamy converted from the spot.

Adam then scored his second, finding the net from close range after Cocks’ shot had been spilled by the goalkeeper, before Bellamy made it 5-0 two minutes from time.

Peters, whose Bacup side host Winsford in the league today at 2pm, said: “I have to give the lads so much credit, they didn’t take the foot off and were positive, as a team and as a group they kept going.

“It’s a massive result for us.”