Prescot Cables captain Liam Hollett and star forward Kyle Sambor paid tribute to manager Steven Daley after their 2-0 win over City of Liverpool.
The Bulls booked their place in the Premier Division of the Northern Premier League thanks to headers from Alex McNally and top goalscorer John Murphy.
It was a tense opening half an hour until the Purps were reduced to 10 men, after Max Allen’s red card, which swung the game in the hosts’ favour.
Daley secured promotion in his first full campaign in charge at the Joseph Russell Stadium after stepping up from his role as assistant manager in February 2023.
In their historic win, Hollett, Sambor and their teammates wrote their names in Cables folklore eclipsing memories of their 2018 heartache to Bamber Bridge.
REPORT: Prescot Cables clinch Northern Premier League promotion after win over 10-man City of Liverpool
At one end, the Bulls made it four games without conceding a goal and for the eye-catching winger, Sambor, he made another key contribution – days after his winning goal in extra-time over Bootle.
“People turned around to me earlier on and said, ‘do you think we will get playoffs? Do you think we will get promoted?’ And I said with Ste in charge, he doesn’t do things by halves, he’s not here to idle by,” Hollett told Off The Park.
“When they brought Ste in, I told them, ‘expect promotion, expect us to go do something in the league’ and it’s a credit to Ste and his coaching team.”
Sambor, who finished the campaign with 13 goals, added: “He’s everything you want in as a manager, he brought me in and I’ve never been in doubt.
“I think the world of him, the things he has done for the club, the direction that he has turned the football club in from being threatened by relegation to turning it on its head.
“It was unthinkable at the start of the season with the competition, Leek, Avro – were flying at the start of the season – Runcorn Linnets, there was so much competition but the team that’s been put together, it’s unbelievable.”
Only two years ago did Cables salvage their place in the Northern Premier League West by the skin of their teeth, following a reprieve via points per game.
A rollercoaster campaign 12 months later saw them earn a ninth-place finish. For many behind the scenes, the ambition was the remain in the division but among the playing squad, they were quietly eyeing a position in the top five, despite reservations of their own.
Hollett said: “From where we’ve come from last year, it’s unbelievable. I think me and (James) Foley done an interview in pre-season and we said the aim was playoffs.
“Realistically, did we think we were going to do it? I’ll be honest, no but that was the inspiration and our goal. Did I think we would go on and win it? No but it’s credit to the lads, the team we’ve got in there. You’ve seen the results we’ve picked up, we haven’t given in.
“City of Liverpool played superbly today and pushed us right to the wire but I think we’re worthy winners. I should say though, they deserve credit for how they and their fans conducted themselves on and off the pitch, they applauded us and they’ve came out in numbers, they’re a great club. “
Many times throughout the campaign, Sambor was the hero or the provider and against City of Liverpool, while he didn’t manage to get himself on the scoresheet, he did make a vital contribution. His cross for Murphy added a two-goal cushion for the Bulls to cement a first promotion at the first chance of asking.
Sambor added: “It’s my first promotion, my first attempt, I’m absolutely buzzing but when everyone storms the pitch and you can’t move because everyone’s trying to speak to you. It’s what dreams are made of and it’s overwhelming to be honest.
“The chemistry me, John (Murphy), Tony (Donaldson) and the rest of the lads in the team is something we work on week in, week out, it’s paid off today. People were in the right positions and we scored goals which is what we try to do and is the reason we got promoted today.”
[Featured Image: John Middleton – Prescot Cables]
