​Bamber Bridge will stay grounded moving up to third in the NPL Premier Division

​Brig picked up their sixth win in their past seven league games on Saturday as they brushed aside a spirited Belper Town 2-0. It means they are now just four points behind second-placed Hyde United with two games in hand.

While Milligan accepts that league leaders South Shields are going to be hard to stop from winning the title, he believes his men can be the best of the rest. However, he knows only too well that nothing is achieved in February and Brig must continue to perform consistently.

This weekend they welcome Stalybridge Celtic to the Sir Tom Finney Stadium – a team in midtable but will still have designs on pushing for a play-off spot.

"It’s looking like a good season at the minute but it could easily change – I’m not daft enough to think that it won’t,” said Milligan. "That’s why I have been saying to the boys, ‘Listen you’re in a great position but you’ve done nothing yet.

"I think South Shields are going to win – they have some really good players and are well resourced. But I think we are just four points behind Hyde with two games in hand. This weekend is going to be a difficult game. I think we are top of the form guide but I think Stalybridge are second.

"Listen, I know we are not going to win every game but we have put ourselves in a great position. Hopefully we can get a few more fans through the gate this weekend which will help us really push on.”

Milligan was able to rest a number of his stars in midweek for the LFA Challenge Trophy quarter-final against North West Counties outfit FC St Helens Town.

The lower league team looked set for the semi-final until Danny Forbes equalised with a header in the final moments. Paul Dawson – who had gone in goal after Luke Hutchinson was sent off – became the hero in the penalty shootout as Brig progressed to the last four.

"We didn’t play that well but they made it hard for us,” said Milligan. “Before the pens, I said to my assistant John Hills that Daws is going to end up being the hero here and he was.”

NWC fixtures: Kendal v FC Isle of Man, AFC Liverpool v Charnock, Lower Breck v Longridge, West Didsbury v Burscough, AFC Blackpool v Garstang, Euxton Villa v Cleator Moor Celtic.