MARK Reed was Motors’ derby match-winner on Saturday as his brace handed them three valuable Blue Square North points.

The game, which saw former Motors player Brian Moogan return with his new club, was severely affected as a spectacle by the strong winds and driving rain. But despite playing against the fierce conditions in the opening half, Reed produced a great strike on 20 minutes to steer the hosts in front. The striker placed a right-footed shot well out of reach of stranded Linnets keeper Tony McMillan to net only his second goal of the season.

For all their territorial advantage, Burscough rarely looked threatening, although Ciaran Kilheeney brought a smart save out of Andrew Murphy in the home goal shortly after.

Such was the ferocity of the conditions, all the players raced off the field when the referee ended the first half for the quiet sanctuary of their dressing rooms.

After the break, Motors dominated for long spells and might well have added to that early strike but for some fine keeping by McMillan.

He denied Reed at his near post with a smart save from the striker’s snap left foot drive, took the sting out of Peter Heler’s fierce shot and produced a fingertip stop from substitute Stuart Whittaker’s goal-bound effort.

Murphy had to be alert to deny Kilheeney soon after, before Reed struck again to effectively wrap up the points nine minutes from time.

Taking a fine through ball from Tom Field in his stride, Reed dinked the ball over McMillan and into the empty net to round off a thoroughly deserved victory.

Vauxhall: Murphy, Owens, Dames, Field, Holmes, Brannan, Hitchen, Griffiths, Reed, Heler (Egerton 82), Taylor (Whittaker 70). Sub: Wright, Clarke, Carney.