Avro assistant manager Phil Edghill admitted he was ‘just happy to get the win’, after underdogs Chadderton produced a spirited display before eventually bowing out of the Manchester Premier Cup after a 2-0 defeat at the Vestacare Stadium.

The tie looked to have turned decisively in favour of the home side when Liam Ellis bundled home a low cross from Shaquille Lewys after a quarter of an hour, and visiting keeper Joe Oldham was unable to continue after sustaining an injury in the collision with the Avro striker.

Midfielder Malachi Clarke eventually took over between the sticks, but his defence offered him excellent protection until Jake Cottrell’s delightful chip with the last kick of the game.

“Fair play to them, they really made it difficult for us tonight,” said Edghill. “We rested a few and we had a couple of lads out there who had not played much football recently, but we were still able to field a strong team.

“However, once we had gone in front, we did not keep the ball well enough; our intensity dropped and they grew into the game.

“At the end of it all, I was just happy to get the win and that says a lot about how hard they fought with an outfield player in goal.”

Former Wythenshawe Amateurs midfielder Brad Sullivan made his Avro debut as a second-half substitute, and Edghill was pleased with his contribution.

“We know all about Brad’s attributes, he is a big, strong lad with good feet and I thought he did well out there tonight. I am sure there is more to come from him,” Edghill added.

Avro now have a 10-day break before embarking on another frenetic month of fixtures, with nine games scheduled between their home and away clashes with Ashton Athletic.

Edghill feels this busy period will determine how realistic his side’s ultimate objective of a top-two finish is.

The assistant boss continued: “We have had a great start, but by the end of November, we will be halfway through the season and I feel that is the very earliest that we can start to assess whether we are potentially promotion material.

“It is going to be hectic and the pitches will start getting really heavy, but we have built a squad to be able to cope with it and we will continue to look at ways in which we can improve it if need be.

“It is such an exciting time to be a part of this club, and I really hope that we can push on and make the most of the excellent foundation which we have given ourselves in these first few months of the season.”