CITY'S miserable run stretched to five straight losses at Ashton United on Monday - though how they lost the Hurst Cross head to head remains a mystery.

City battered their hosts but lost to a dodgy penalty and a breakaway strike in stoppage time. When your luck is out, that's often the way things go.

It may be a clich, but City are nervously peering over their shoulders towards the bottom three - it's also a clich that they are too good to go down.

But Phil Wilson's men are right in the relegation mix now - and going down would be a travesty after a season with more highs than lows.

They need one more win to ease the pressure, two to survive with ease, but at the moment they can't buy a goal.

And at the other end defensive mistakes have cost them dear during this run. But at Ashton the crucial mistake was not made by a defender but the referee.

They were enjoying their best spell of the game on 62 minutes, tightening the noose around Ashton when United broke and a shot thundered into Joe McMahon's arm from point-blank range. The referee ruled handball and gave a penalty.

Phil Eastwood made no mistake from the spot and City were reeling.

That in itself was cruel after a first period where City held the upper hand and McMahon headed wide from a couple of corners, and Ryan Elderton shot wide.

City could also have gone ahead when Steve Jones crashed a shot goal wards only to look on in disbelief when the ball smacked into Elderton a yard from the line

The penalty was a blow that seemed to steel City's resolve. Wilson sent on Peter Thomson into a three-man attack and the big striker had an immediate impact as a delicious Stevie Hollis pass found him. Thomson held off two markers and crossed but Ryan-Zico Black couldn't make contact at the back post.

Then Gary Bauress saw an effort charged down, while Thomson was a coat of paint away from an equaliser.

He latched onto a Jones flick and held off a couple of defenders but his shot zipped back off the inside of a post.

Jones went close with a header as Wilson committed six men into attack. They surged forward in search of the leveller, then as the clock ran down Ashton raced the length of the field and Eastwood slotted home for 2-0.

That was cruel in itself - and City's agony was complete in stoppage time when McMahon was wiped out in the penalty area. But the referee waved away appeals for a consolation penalty.

CITY: McMillan, Clark, McMahon, Sparrow, Scott, Hollis (Dawes 78), Uberschar (Thomson 67), Bauress, Elderton, Black (Sullivan 78), Jones. Subs (not used): Yeomans, Prince.