KIRKHAM & WESHAM celebrated manager Mick Fuller's award of Manager of the Month for December in the best possible style by beating promotion challengers Ashton Athletic at Kellamergh Park on Saturda, January 5.
And then the whole squad going out for a meal in the town afterwards as chairman Dai Davis said thank you to his promotional hopefuls.
Fuller added later: "We put a side out today to do a job and they did exactly what we asked them to do, and l'm pleased with that.
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"I'm glad to say that the side worked for the whole 90 minutes, unlike the game on Boxing Day when we did it for just the first 45.
"The defence worked hard and we didn't really present them with many opportunities."
For Kirkham the day marked a double celebration on the pitch too as the silky skills of forward James Sheppard proved too hot to handle for the
visitors defence and after a couple of early warnings the veteran player curled in a 28th minute wonder goal past Ashton keeper Andy Paxton which brought a standing ovation from the home crowd.
While the game was mainly fought out in the centre of the field Kirkham had carved out a whole host of early chances before they took the lead with Sheppard the man to open up the Ashton defence.
Twice in early raids he made chances for leading scorer Sean Paterson but the usually reliable 17-goal striker fired over.
It was half an hour before Ashton had a worthwhile shot on the Kirkham goal - a chance for winger Chris Almond, but home skipper Phil Thompson slid in to deny him the chance of a shot.
And in raids either side of half time hard working Phil Blackwell troubled the visitors goal with a header that just went wide a minute before the break and then just after as he rattled the Ashton woodwork.
Mark Wane wrapped up the points that takes Kirkham clear in their promotion push when on 55 minutes he finished off a shot that Paterson had just had saved by Paxton.
Thompson found his way into the referee's notebook 10 minutes from time for a late challenge, but in the space of two minutes before the final whistle Ashton's busiest forward Almond received his marching orders
following two quick yellow card tackles.
Substitute Matt Walwyn had the chance to score a third for Kirkham a minute from time but shot wide left after wriggling through the Ashton rearguard to suggest that he may well be one for the future.
was on hand to present Kirkham manager Mick Fuller with his award as Manager
of the Month for December - a month in which his side went 100 per cent with
four wins out of four and into the last 32 of the FA Vase.
Fuller received a large bottle of Vodker from sponsors Vodkat.
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