Holker Old Boys 2-5 Cheadle Town

Hallelujah.

With the ghastly September out of the way we were all hoping that a new month would bring a new start. Not that that should make any difference whatsoever but we were all clinging onto any strand of superstitious nonsense possible.

It seemed to do the trick.

Granted we rode our luck a little, particularly at 2-2 when our collective batteries looked like they were dying on us, but it was a measured performance that brought its deserved reward.

This match took a while to really get going. The first half hour saw a few half-hearted knocks on the door from both sides with nothing really of note to report.

The first decent chance fell to us as the 31st minute ticked over when Chris Sherrington's cross from the left found Luke Hincks in space on the edge of the area with his side-footed effort going just wide.

Steve Piggott was called into action two minutes later as Holker's lively no6 charged down the left and rifled one in from the angle.

Back down the other end Luke Hincks' neat footwork on the edge of the area saw him make a neat change of direction before forcing the keeper to tip over the crossbar with a fierce drive.

Reece Webb then buried a header from a corner but it was disallowed for a foul in the area before Luke Hincks troubled the Holker keeper again, seeing his shot bobble under the keeper's body before rolling inches wide.

Our increasing pressure finally told with what would prove to be the last kick of the first half.

Reece Webb found space on the right before driving to the byline to fizz the ball across the face of goal straight onto the feet of Sam Noar who had the simplest of tasks to guide it home from close range.

Just two minutes into the restart Holker drew themselves level. They counterattacked from deep in our half and their no10 Samuel Joel was put through on goal to finish easily past Steve Piggott.

Four minutes later Reece Webb tested the keeper with a rasping shotbefore finding himself through on goal once more a minute later, this time firing low into the far corner to restore Cheadle's lead.

Both Liam Tongue and Reece Webb saw good efforts blocked before Holker drew level once more on 56 minutes; we couldn't clear our lines in the box and Samuel Lightfoot eventually turned the ball home from close range.

And that's when we lost our way in the match for a while.

A crucial double-block from both Piggott and our defence prevented Holker taking the lead on the 68th minute with them then striking the crossbar after we yet again failed to clear the danger effectively from a corner.

With the mini storm ridden we then rallied superbly to put the match well out of sight in the final ten minutes.

A wayward Holker arm in the penalty box meant that Luke Pearson was given the chance to restore our lead from the penalty spot on the 82nd minute - a chance duly taken - with us extending the lead just two minutes later.

Reece Webb was put clear on the left and could have had a crack on goal himself but chose to roll the ball into the path of the onrushing (and unmarked) Chris Sherrington who swept it home into the corner with a first-time effort.

Three minutes later we got our fifth with a well-worked effort.

Neat one-touch interplay down the right was ended with a deft cross by James Dunn and capped by the head of Reece Webb to nod home.

Liam Tongue could have got a sixth but saw one of his long-rangers stopped well by the keeper.

Not one single win at Holker Old Boys since 1999 and then two on the trot. There's an analogy about buses in there somewhere.

No rest for the wicked as we host high-flying Alsager Town this Wednesday in what will be another tough encounter. With a renewed confidence in the air anything is possible.

October 2016. I'm beginning to like it already.

TEAM: Piggott, Todd, Pearson, German, Shaw, Waldron, Hincks (Dunn), Tongue, Noar (Tosum), Webb, C Sherrington. SUBS: Jupp (gk), Dunn, Tosum, McLaughlin.