PAUL Fildes scored a hat-trick to secure Bacup the three points against bottom club Castleton - but it was on a knife edge until the final minutes.

Former Gabs player Ian McClellan opened the scoring for Bacup with a free kick on five minutes and although Fildes, Paul Waine and McClellan had chances to add to the tally, they came to nothing.

Bacup increased their lead on 72 minutes, a mistake by Lee Chadwick letting Nicky Taylor in and he found Fildes who picked his spot.

"But true to our form in recent weeks we gifted them a goal," admitted Bacup boss Brent Peters.

Gary Lloyd's back header fell straight to Mark Dunning and he made it 2-1 on 78 minutes.

And Castleton were back in it on 80 minutes when Stuart Farnell left Steve McCann unmarked and McCann got a free header to level the scores.

"I didn't panice as I still felt there was more in it," said Peters and it was then the Fildes show.

The former Colne frontman - playing his third game for Bacup - saw his effort parried away and Shaun Cryer pounced to make it 3-2 on 82 minutes.

Fildes then fired home a free kick on 86 minutes and one minute later he ran through a ruck of players to complete his hat-trick with a quality goal.

"He showed what we had been missing all season," added Peters.

CASTLETON GABRIELS...2 BACUP BOROUGH...5