STEVE Jones scored only Lancaster City's third goal in seven games - but couldn't face celebrating after the Dolly Blues plunged to defeat at Vauxhall.

Jones, who also netted Lancaster's last effort, grabbed the consolation on a windy day when his side were blown away on the Wirral.

It's never nice to go to Vauxhall's Rivacre Park ground in the shadow of a massive car plant - and when the game kicks off at the same time as England's World Cup qualifier with Northern Ireland depression really can set in.

It probably wasn't have Tony McMillan dreamed of ahead of his debut after signing from Runcorn FC Halton to replace Jamie Speare.

But he made an assured start to life at his new club with a couple of confident saves.

However, a combination of McMillan, Speare, Ryan Yeomans and a hundredweight of bricks would have struggled to stop Vauxhall's opener.

The deadly Peter Cumiskey was given space in the area and turned to blast home for 1-0.

City's heads didn't go down, even though a drought that has seen just seven Conference North goals scored in 2005 is bound to make it hard to fight back.

That stat became eight thanks to Jones - but by the time he shot home after excellent Ryan-Zico Black work, the game was lost.

City could have gone 2-0 down when McMillan saved well just before the break to keep out a spinning ball which was flying into the bottom corner.

The Dolly Blues started the second half well enough but were hit on 56 minutes when James Glendenning escaped his marker to power home a Lawton corner.

And when Tony Wright tapped home on 72 minutes with the Blues defence exchanging confused looks at each other it was game over.

Jones at least got City's consolation - but it was too little too late with a fourth straight defeat edging Lancaster closer to the dreaded Conference North drop zone.

CITY: McMillan, Scott, Sparrow, McMahon, Clark, Bauress, Jones, Prince, Elderton, Thomson (Sullivan 62), Black. Subs (not used): Yeomans, Hollis, Uberschar, Dawes.