STEETON continued their recent fine run of form by making it five matches undefeated in all competitions with a 3-1 win against Bacup Borough at Marley.

In a fixture that is always fiercely competed, a debut double salvo from the bench by Arale Mohamed proved to be the difference and lifted his new side to 10th in the NWCFL First Division North standings.

Bacup themselves came into this game on a terrific run of form and had the better of the early opportunities and it showed as they took the lead in the 11th minute of the game.

Joe Fallon managed to lose his marker inside the area from an Anthony Hall free-kick, and after his initial header came back off the crossbar, the centre half put the rebound into the bottom corner.

It appeared the visitors had doubled their lead just minutes after as Hall got in behind the defence from an advantage and finished beneath keeper James Catlow, but the linesman’s offside flag saved the blushes of those in green.

Steeton grew back into the game but were wasteful with possession, much to the visible frustration of the management team in the technical area, despite Andy Briggs striking the crossbar.

It should have been a second though for Bacup after Catlow spilt a shot from range, but he recovered superbly to make a stretching save with his left foot from the follow up.

The hosts though drew level shortly before the interval as Jake Townsend put a ball inside the area and Andy Briggs took a superb first touch to keep the ball in play from a flick by a Bacup defender before setting himself up to smash it across the face of goal and inside the far post.

Briggs would then accidentally prevent his side falling behind once more as his backside blocked a header within the area.

There was a fiery opening to the second half that would dictate the remainder of the game and make for a not so quiet afternoon for the match officials.

The visitors will have felt hard done by as a ball struck a Steeton hand inside the area, but both the referee and the linesman said it was not handball and allowed play to continue.

With ten minutes left to play, tempers flared, and temperatures rose in the cold and wet conditions on the day at Marley, with the referee at times struggling to contain the ever-brewing pot between the two sets of players.

Toby Jeffrey, who came on from the bench following a period on the sidelines with injury, broke down the right wing and whipped the ball across the face of the Bacup goal.

Fallon, the visitors goal scorer, would miss a chance to intercept the cross and clear and this allowed new singing Mohamed - who was introduced in the second period - to find the space behind him to smash the ball into the back of the net with four minutes of the regulation 90 left to play.

Then in injury time, a similar goal was scored when Jeffrey crossed into the heart of the area where Mohamed tucked it away.

November 5 a date to remember for the striker, bagging two on his debut, just hours after signing.

Steeton were set for a trip to Cumbria to play sixth-placed side Holker Old Boys tonight, but the game was postponed due to the weather, after a pitch inspection at 3pm.

STEETON: Catlow; Walne; Lynn; Morgan; Anjum; Warren; Subhani; McKiernon; Townsend; Briggs; Nkem. Subs (All Used): Wignall, Jeffrey, Mohamed, Buttle.

GOALS (Assists): Briggs '44 (Townsend); Mohamed 86' (Jeffrey), 90+1' (Jeffrey).