Zak Ansbro led the way as Nelson's under 13's side recorded a resounding first win of the season at Bacup Borough.

It's been a slow learning curve for the lads, but a steady increase in effort and commitment over the last few games finally paid off on Sunday as they outplayed Bacup Borough at Maden Rec.

Nelson passed the ball well in the first half and found plenty of space down the flanks, but unfortunately the final ball into the area was either misjudged or ill-timed, and it looked like the advantage of playing down the slope may have come to nothing.

But on 21 minutes, Ansbro won a corner on the left-hand side, and Joe McKenna swung an inch perfect cross into the penalty area which Kyle Ellis was on hand to nod brilliantly into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

One-nil at half-time, but it looked as if it may not be enough as they prepared to play uphill - and indeed David Dyson had to be alert to push a shot around the post within a minute of the resumption.

Nelson gradually re-asserted though, and with seven minutes gone in the second period, Ansbro scored the goal of the game. He picked the ball up from inside his own half down the left-hand side, and simply ran and ran - beating three defenders - into the visitors penalty area, before slotting under the keeper for a superb individual goal.

It was too much for the Bacup keeper and a defender to cope with, and, after blaming each other for the goal, they degenerated into a punch-up for a full minute right in front of the referee, who in turn had no option but to send them both off.

Obviously buoyed by these events, Nelson ran the show for the next fifteen minutes. Ansbro collected the ball down the right-hand side and cooly crossed into the centre for Scott Riley to tap in his first goal of the season, and Matthew Mullin superbly chipped the makeshift keeper for the fourth after bursting through the middle.

A touch of complacency then hit the Nelson ranks, and they were totally exposed at the back twice late on, being punished once as an attacker slotted home under the onrushing Dyson, but they regrouped and held firm for their well deserved first victory of the season.

Nelson team: David Dyson; James Hyatt, Kyle Ellis, Bradley Rigby, Michael Donovan; Matthew Mullin, Sam Dent, Joe McKenna, Stuart Buckley; Zak Ansbro, Jack Hindley. Subs: Scott Riley, Daniel Rycroft, Luke Wilkinson, Nicholas Wright, Luke Ormerod.