Play-off winners record hat-trick of wins

AFC Fylde, Halesowen Town and awards specialists Ramsbottom United will have more than promotion to celebrate at the league’s presentation night after being named on Tuesday as the final winners of this season’s Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Club of the Month Awards.

With the Evo-Stik NPL campaign over after Saturday’s play-off finals, the trio will be presented with their joint divisional awards for April/May on Saturday 14 June, with each club collecting an inscribed certificate recording their achievement and a 4.5 litre bottle of Bells Whiskey to toast their success at Blackpool's Hilton Hotel.

Premier Division play-off champions AFC Fylde were nailed on winners for the final award of the season after their promotion winning victory over Ashton United on penalties in Saturday’s Premier Division Play-Off Final followed the club's triumph in the Doodson Sport Cup, lifted in April after a 1-0 victory over Skelmersdale United at Stockport County’s Edgeley Park.

In top flight action, Dave Challinor’s Coasters won five and drew one of their final seven outings to secure their place in the play-offs and third placed finish.

The Yeltz can look forward to collecting their second Club of the Month Award this season after the First Division South champions won the honour in December as their title charge gathered pace.

Before beating First Division North champions Curzon Ashton 3-1 in Saturday’s Peter Swales Challenge Shield Final, Halesowen won all five of their final fixtures in April, four of them away from home, to wrap up the title and earn the vote of the monthly competition’s judges.

Ramsbottom United are heading into the Evo-Stik NPL’s top flight next season after beating Bamber Bridge in Saturday’s First Division North Play-off Final.

The Rams are no strangers to the accolade, having won it twice previously in October and January. They made it a hat-trick of honours after three victories and two key draws in April helped them grab the last play-off spot before going on to beat Darlington 2-0 away in the semi-finals and then travel to Bamber Bridge at the weekend where they won 3-2 to clinch promotion, pictured.