Marine withstood second-half pressure from Stalybridge Celtic to win 1-0, reigniting their push for the Northern Premier League play-off places.

The home side went into the game having won only one of their last five games and three points behind Radcliffe Borough in the final playoff spot.

Marine started brightly one minute in when Joshua Solomon-Davies drove into the Stalybridge box and forced keeper Greg Hall into a diving save.

Only a minute later Stalybridge fullback Tom Miller went straight up the other end and fired the ball just over the crossbar on a half-volley.

Marine and Stalybridge line up before kick off - pic by Jack Holmes
The teams line up before the game – pic by Jack Holmes

Marine opened the scoring 12 minutes in courtesy of Andrew Scarisbrick nodding the ball into the path of Sol Solomon, who beat his man before hitting it on the volley.

Solomon now has seven goals in his last eleven games for Marine.

The home side continued to create chances and hit the visitors on the break but failed to capitalise.

On 30 minutes Solomon whipped an excellent cross into the box for January signing Joe Bunney who headed inches over the bar.

The second half saw a more even affair, with neither side able to fully assert themselves.

Stalybridge had a great chance to equalise on 65 minutes when substitute Godwin Abadaki found himself free in the box, only for Liam Isherwood to deny him with a brilliant save.

The visitors had a final chance on 93 minutes from a free-kick just outside the box, but the shot went straight to Isherwood.

The three points mean Marine can reignite their push for a place in the playoff places.

On the other hand, Stalybridge now sit in 14th place, 12 points off Radcliffe Borough in fifth place.