ATHERSLEY Rec stunned promotion-chasing Retford United 3-2 on Tuesday in NCEL Division One.
Rec are eight points clear of the relegation zone in 18th, with 32 points from 36 games, and eight to play. They also won at Dronfield on Saturday after five straight losses.
Manager Paul Clarkson said: “It’s been a huge week. We’ve got a good gap in terms of points now and, even if teams win their games in hand, they will still be behind us. It’s in our hands now.
“We still need a couple of wins and we have Yorkshire Amateur next week which is a massive six-pointer.
“This is the first time all season we have kept the same squad together for nearly a month and it shows.
“We signed Nathan Perks and he makes all the difference. We needed a number nine all season.”
Perks’ brace put Rec 2-0 up on Tuesday then, after Retford levelled, Ethan Hargreaves won it.
Clarkson said: “We were quietly confident, but we stayed humble.
“Both our starting centre-backs pulled up in the warm-up with injuries so we had to make changes. But we could have been three or four up at half-time.
“They scored a good goal to make it 2-1 and they are a big side, put pressure on us and equalised. But we scored a great winner after a team move.”
