IF it takes a somewhat fortunate goal and a solid, if not spectacular, performance to get past the winning post then Winsford supporters will settle for that.

Against visiting Blackpool who had a big, well-organised defence, the Blues were rarely threatened and with a little luck might have had more than the lone Rob Hopley effort to show for their endeavours.

With new signing Ged McAllister partnering Hopley up front, several chances were created in a first half in which Blackpool had only one long-range effort to show.

The first minute saw McAllister almost begin his career with a dream start but he failed to connect with Hopley's cross by inches when any sort of contact would have opened the scoring.

On the half-hour, Hopley scored in a somewhat fortunate fashion when he beat Mechanics keeper Josh Wood to Lee Duckworth's pass far out on the left and, although the ball could have gone anywhere, it had just enough strength to trickle over the visitors' goalline.

Five minutes later McAllister was unlucky to see his spectacular overhead kick fall safely into Wood's arms.

The second period saw Black-pool packing their goal with the hope of snatching a breakaway equaliser but, with the new part-nership of Neil Marsh and Mike Lomax at the heart of the defence, any effort was quickly snuffed out.

Last night, Winsford entertained Chadderton in the league, after the Chronicle went to press, and on Saturday they make the trip to Darwen (3pm) hoping to take one more step to fulfil their title ambitions.

Winsford: Mottershead; Murray, Stewart, Quinn, Lomax; Marsh, Hughes (Hanlon), Topping, Duck-worth; Hopley, McAllister. Subs: Jarrett, Ashmole.

Attendance: 81.

Star man: Neil Marsh, superb defending.

Next best: Mike Lomax.

Blues rating: 3.

Match rating: 3.