LANCASTER City travel to Frickley on Saturday and host Runcorn FC Halton on Saturday as they bid to kick-start their season.

Tuesday night saw City grab a 0-0 away draw at Sean Teale's re-invigorated Burscough, which was something of a tonic after a disappointing 4-1 home defeat at the hands of Blyth Spartans on Saturday.

On a boiling hot August afternoon, Lancaster went behind within just 12 minutes when an error by Paul Sparrow left his backpass short of keeper Mark Thornley, allowing Craig Perry to sneak in.

Perry was brought down by Thornley and Glenn Robson scored from the spot.

Another of city's normally reliable defenders, Farrell Kilbane, lost track of a bouncing punt up field allowing the prolific Robson to nip in and score the second.

Worse was to follow when debutant Chris Perkins was sent off for a fracas with Blyth's Justin Keegan, who also made the walk of shame back to the dressing room.

Perkins, signed from Stalybridge in the summer, is now set to face a suspension, further disrupting the Dolly Blues' plans for the season.

The game was put beyond City's reach on 80 minutes when Carl Pepper made it three, before City's brightest moment of the game when Paul Haddow scored a consolation goal with a useful finish after a long kick forward from Thornley.

Unfortunately, to perfectly sum up City's miserable afternoon, Paddy Little made it four in injury time with a lob over Thornley from 20 yards.