MANCHESTER TITANS 0, ELTON VALE 4: Elton made the short trip to Manchester Road to take on local rivals Manchester Titans.

It was certainly a day when the players running around were going to keep much warmer than those watching on the sidelines in bitterly cold conditions.

Elton's pre match warm up routines seemed to have worked as they looked the sharper in the early exchanges. Dave Malius made a good turn after only three minutes and was brought down just outside the area.

Lee Dickinson's free kick dipped in front of the keeper and bounced into the path of Des Hutchinson to score an important early goal.

The Vale side seemed to take their foot off the peddle for a 20 minute spell and the game went into an idling mode as the ball moved around midfield without any real chances being created.

It was the Titans who issued the wake up call on the half hour as their centre forward's persistance made a chance for himself but his lofted shot just went wide.

Elton increased their lead almost immediately as Hutchinson picked the ball up on the right and fed Dickinson, his drilled cross was missed by everyone except Dave Malius who sent the ball back into the far side of the net.

The last attack of the half almost reproduced the second goal but Dickenson's cross was scooped over by Stott.

The second half was to turn out to be more interesting, in that the home side came out with a bit more to offer to the game and also that Elton raised their game in response.

John Armstrong got more involved than he has in recent matches and his work on the left provided three good chances in the first ten minutes of the half.

They say third time lucky, and Malius scored the best goal of the game to volley home.

Then Steve Doran fed the ball into Des Hutchinson to take the ball in his stride and increase his tally to two

The home side came close to opening their account midway through the half as a 25-yard free kick curled round the defensive wall but drifted agonisingly wide of the post.

In the final 15 minutes Elton pushed to increase their lead with a Keegan header and a Chris Read shot that left the keeper rooted to the spot but just missed the target.

The reserve squad extended their unbeaten run with a win in the Open Trophy over Rochdale Sacred Heart. Daz Jackson and Leon Davies scored the goals in the first half in a hard fought 2-0 victory that gives them a place in the semi-final