Barnoldswick Town 1 Nelson 0

BARNOLDSWICK Town lifted themselves out of the Premier Division relegation zone with a hard-earned win at the Silentnight Beds Stadium on Monday.

But they cannot afford to rest on their laurels as they have two testing fixtures in the next three days. They travel to Winsford United tonight before playing FA Vase finalists Glossop North End in their final home game of the season on Saturday.

Town are currently two points ahead of St Helens Town – who play Glossop tonight – with a game in hand so it promises to be a tense finish to the season.

A crowd of 261 bathed in bright Spring sunshine as Town, who had Chris Ridehalgh (suspended), Harry Thompson, Jack Tinning and Zachary Cooper all missing, welcomed Shaun Airey back to the starting 11. Striker John Beckwith was named on the bench.

Town won two corners in the first two minutes. Mark Threlfall headed narrowly wide of Ben Woodhead’s goal from the second one.

Scott Reid had to beat out a Jake Lloyd shot at the other end as Nelson launched a swift attack.

Play was swinging from end to end with neither goalkeeper being unduly troubled until the 15th minute when Reid needed treatment after a collision with former Town player/manager Paul Fildes.

The Town defence were occasionally guilty of not clearing their lines effectively. Airey made a hash of a 23rd minute clearance which went straight to Lloyd whose shot from the edge of the Town penalty area beat Reid but hit the outside of the post and rebounded to safety.

The half ended with Reid having to race off his line to thwart Nelson skipper Peter Wright with a timely clearance.

The second half started with Nelson pressing forward again. Their man of the match Amido Batis Candre forced Reid to tip an acrobatic overhead kick onto his crossbar and away to safety following a corner.

Reid had to be alert after 55 minutes as another Candre effort needed saving at the near post.

Town made their first substitution on 63 minutes, Thomas Henderson replacing Scott Byrom, but it was after their second substitution that changed the game.

John Beckwith replaced Joel Melia in the 73rd minute and came up with the winning goal two minutes later.

Henderson picked up a loose ball and played it to Beckwith. He took the ball to just inside the Nelson penalty area before curling in a shot which took a slight deflection off a defender and flew just inside Woodhead’s left post.

Town held out well for the last 15 minutes, the only danger coming from a Lydon Hodgkiss free kick that he saved with his legs.