RADCLIFFE Borough’s survival in Evo-Stik Division One North was all but secured this week following events on and off the pitch – and Stainton Park legend Nick Culkin could not be happier.

Elliot Rokka scored in Boro’s crucial 1-0 win at home to fellow strugglers Padiham on Tuesday night which opened up a six point gap over second bottom Wakefield in the final relegation place.

With only four games remaining they now look safe, but the final standings could prove to be irrelevant after Wakefield announced they would be withdrawing from the league at the end of the season after failing to bring their ground up to the required standard.

“You never want to see any club fall out of the league, but I couldn’t be happier now it looks like Boro are safe,” said Culkin, who left the club in 2012 and played the majority of the current campaign for rivals Prescott Cables.

“The two games I played for Prescott against Boro this season were weird, I didn’t really enjoy them. “It was hard because I didn’t want to see Boro struggling, but I never really felt like they would go down. They are too good of a club. They have too many good players and too good of a coaching set-up.”

Assistant manager Paul McGuire joined current boss Kevin Glendon midway through the season and between them have managed to attract a new crop of young players, such as Rokka, who starred on Tuesday night.

And Culkin believes their future could be a bright one after a number of seasons languishing in the bottom half of the table.

“They have lost players like myself, Mark Jones, Ben Wharton and Shaun Connor – that’s a spine of a team right there,” he said.

“But I think Kevin and his team are starting to turn things around.

“If they can keep the current side together then hopefully they will be back up fighting for honours next season.”

The 35-year-old stopper, who began his career at Manchester United, is enjoying a revival of his own after being recruited by Evo-Stik Premier Division title-chasers FC United as cover for their run-in.

But the Worsley-based player has not given up hope of a return to Stainton Park.

“Kevin and Boro gave me my chance when I decided to come out of retirement and I went on to play more than 100 games for them, so I will always have a place in my heart for the club.

“When I do hang up my gloves, I am interested in getting into coaching, so maybe that could also be an option.”

Boro could make themselves mathematically safe this weekend with victory at bottom club Ossett Albion.