GREAT Harwood Town are on a roll after taking 13 from the last 15 points in the North West Counties Lea-gue Division Two.
Manager John Hughes has gambled and won when the chips were down by introducing some of his promising youngsters to first-team football.
He said: "We've got some very promising young players and I put a couple of them on at Daisy Hill on Tuesday, where we won 2-0''
Matthew Derbyshire, 16, and James Dean, 17, made their first-team debuts and Dean, particularly, impressed in his half-hour spell after being brought on as sub in the second half.
Hughes is confident that if Town can maintain their recent run of form they can comfortably finish around fifth place in the league.
He said: "I have a fairly young squad alongside some more experienced players and I had to introduce more of the younger players. Now they are starting to gel and our run of results shows how much potential we have.
"Young Dean is an Accrington lad - a real athlete and you can work with him. I rate him as a real prospect."
Town are at home to Norton on Saturday and will be without two key players in midfield. Striker John Eastham is unavailable because he's running in a marathon on Sunday.
Hughes added: "He will be missed because he's been playing really well. We will also be without Andy Taylor in midfield and Russell Kay who is now sidelined for the rest of the season due to an ankle injury.
"We got beat 4-0 when we went away to Norton but they can expect a very different game here on Saturday. We are more organised at the back and even though John Eastham is out they won't find it so comfortable.
"We are playing a team game and working very hard for each other and the good results give them even more encouragement to do well," he added.
