Before the start of the game, the visitors were sitting one place below The Millers in the table and they started the gamebrightly. The league's leading scorer Sam Heap was lively in the early stages and he laid on good chances for both Paul Crorken and Chris Ogunyode.

Nelson suffered a setback in the seventeenth minute when their captain Lee Kershaw was involved in a clash of heads with New Mills skipper Mike Flynn. Flynn was able to continue after treatment but Kershaw was immediately substituted and was taken to hospital where he had several stitches in a nasty facial wound.

This incident seemed to affect Nelson as New Mills started to control the midfield and it was no surprise when they took the lead in the twenty fifth minute. Following good work from Melford Knight, Carlos Meakin was left one on one with keeper Chris Thompson. His chip seemed to be going on but striker Garry Kharas made sure by heading into the empty net.

The Millers doubled their advantage on the stroke of half time when keeper Thompson came o ut of his nets to clear a Josh Howard corner but his punch hit substitute Alex Miller on the back of the head and the ball bounced into the net much to the amusement of the home fans.

Nelson's Martin Payne had the first opportunities of the second half. Following good work again by Sam Heap, Payne was left with only keeper Stuart Williams to beat but his weak effort was easily saved. He then went on a mazy run down the left wing and after cutting inside, unleashed a right foot shot from twenty five yards that smacked against the crossbar.

New Mills increased their lead just after the hour when a weak pass back by a Nelson defender was intercepted by Carlos Meakin. He in turn found Garry Kharas and it looked like a penalty would be awarded when keeper Thompson felled him in the area but referee20 Mr Thorley allowed play to continue and Peter Band was grateful for this as he picked up the loose ball and thumped it past the Nelson defenders on the goal line.

Joe Shaw replaced Josh Howard in the sixty fifth minute and had an immediate impact when his corner was headed home by an unmarked Garry Kharas to score his second and The Millers fourth of the afternoon.

The home side were now full of confidence and were playing some tremendous football and shortly after, scored their third goal of a very productive seven minute spell. Melford Knight was again the catalyst for the goal when he won the ball in midfield and passed superbly to Garry Kharas. This time Kharas turned provider as his cross found Carlos Meakin who made no mistake in beating keeper Thompson and scored for the second successive game.

Substitute Joe Shaw nearly scored a sixth goal with five minutes left when following a good run, he cleverly dinked the ball over Thompson but Craig Redhead spectacularly cleared the ball off the line. Shaw wasn't to be denied for long however as he sealed the win in the last minute with the final goal and definitely the best of the afternoon as his acrobatic overhead kick wrapped up the three points.

The team were rightly applauded off the field at the final whistle after securing their fourt h consecutive victory and their third successive clean sheet in the league.With results elsewhere in the Division going their way, they now lie in second place with only goal difference separating them from leaders AFC Fylde.

NEW MILLS – Williams, Garvey, Mather, D Jackson ( Lomax ), Flynn, Royle, Meakin, Knight, Kharas, Band ( Allen ), Howard ( Shaw )
Unused subs – Mellor, Roscoe. Referee – Mr M Thorley. Attendance – 185.