ATHERTON Collieries manager Michael Clegg said promotion to the North West Counties Premier Division after six years outside the top flight was "massive" for the team.

Clegg's side achieved the feat with eight matches of the league season still to play following a 3-0 win at home to local rivals Atherton LR in front of 260 fans on Monday.

“A lot of hard work went into that, it was massive for all the team," said Clegg, who took over as manager at the start of the season after taking over from Steve Pilling, whose side just missed out on promotion last year.

"They’ve wanted that for the last six years, since they got relegated."

The league push has been spearheaded by Colls' incredible goal threat, with leading marksman Mark Battersby scoring 56 of a total team total of 113 goals.

He scored a hat-trick against LR on Monday and two in a 3-0 win against Northwich Flixton Villa on Saturday, with Matt Bolan also on the scoresheet.

“Mark has been absolutely flying to be honest, but, to be fair, the other lads have chipped in as well.

"We have two wingers who have been brilliant and the goals have been flying in from all angles."

The season is far from over for Clegg’s men, who will have to cram in two cup finals, as well as their final eight league games, in the last 22 days of the campaign.

“It’s all hands on deck," said Clegg. "We’ve got a good squad and we have needed a lot of strength in depth. The concentration now is on winning the league and the cup finals."

Colls could seal the four wins they need to claim the title this week. They played a home match against Holker Old Boys last night (Wednesday), with the reverse fixture coming on Saturday before Irlam visit Alder House on Monday and they visit Cheadle Town next Wednesday.

Whatever the outcome of Colls' final 10 matches, the party has already started.

“It has been six years since we were relegated from the top division and it feels like we are returning to the holy land," said club secretary Emil Anderson.

“Under Steve Pilling we were really close, but not close enough. Michael Clegg has taken the team on to a different level.

“The season does not stop here. We’ve won promotion with eight games to go, but we still want to win the league. We face a big push now but also a big opportunity.

“There’s a lot of football left but everybody enjoyed the celebrations on Monday night. We partied like it was 1999."