ELTON VALE...2

NEW MILLS...5

ELTON'S tough battle to climb away from the bottom of the table took another setback as they once again found out when you're in that position, little goes your way in terms of luck.

Vale peppered the visitors goal in a wind assisted first half but couldn't add to their early lead as missed chances and some contentious decisions by the match officials stalled the progress.

The first of those came after two minutes when Steve Howson was chopped down in the penalty box for what looked a cast iron spot kick.

Vale kept their composure though and were rewarded in the 17th minute when Andy Sensale blasted home a fierce dipping cross shot from the angle of the penalty area.

Howson and Des Hutchinson both went desperately close to increasing the lead at the end of flowing moves but their final efforts went just the wrong side of the post.

New Mills began to move forward a little and showed their intentions from some dangerous dead ball situations, one of which 'keeper Phil Rainford did well to palm over the bar.

But they got a mighty big help from the officials for their equaliser in the 35th minute for when Ian Hutchinson won the ball in a tackle, his opponent stayed grounded and the ref decided to award a free kick.

This was quickly taken and flicked into the path of Chris Lees who looked a good five yards offside as he duly stroked the ball home.

The Millers then went in front early in the second half when, following a massive kick from Candlin, Kieran Lugsden crossed for Billy Craven to head in from close range.

Within a minute the Derbyshire side had Candlin to thank again when he pulled off a tremendous save to tip Howson's point blank header over the bar.

The change to a more attacking formation quickly backfired for the home side as the Millers exploited the extra space in midfield as they set up Lugsden to calmly notch their third goal after he'd chipped the ball up and over two defenders. Lugsden then added number four on seventy minutes as he tapped the ball into the empty net from close range after it had been worked in from the left flank.

Andy Sensale gave Elton some hope in the 78th minute when his low drive from twenty five yards found the corner of the net but New Mills wrapped it up two minutes from time when a defensive misunderstanding saw Ian Hutchinson play three men onside and a swift exchange of passes ended with Stacey Wild sliding the ball home.

TEAM: Rainford 6, Burke 6, A.Doran 7, Wilkes 6, I.Hutchinson 7, Hopkins 6, Stott 6, Howson 7, Jones 6, Sensale 7, D.Hutchinson 6 Subs: Whittaker (for Hopkins, 60 mins) 6, Read (for Jones, 64 mins) 6

Two goals from Steve Murphy and one from Martin Rayner helped the reserves to a 3-2 win at Rochdale Sacred Heart reserves.

A change to the scheduled fixtures now sees a double header against Stockport Georgians tomorrow with the first team at home and the reserves away. Both kick-offs are 2pm.