ASHTON UNITED...2 RADCLIFFE BOROUGH...1: MANAGER Kevin Glendon was "not a happy bunny" after his side threw away a one-goal lead and slumped to defeat at Ashton on Tuesday night writes IAN HANNAY.
So much so that the Radcliffe Borough players were given an extra dose of training last night as Glendon made his feelings plain.
After Saturday's demolition of table-topping Harrogate, expectations were high at Hurst Cross, but two pieces of casual defending proved Boro's undoing as the home side registered their first win since December.
Wing back Richard Battersby, available again after suspension, returned in place of Barry Keeling, but rarely troubled the United defence with his usual overlapping runs.
The state of the pitch could well have been the reason. It was soggy and lifeless and flowing football was almost impossible.
The opening exchanges were even, with Eamon Elliott scorning an early chance and Danny Hurst producing a full-length save to deny Calvert.
Boro were missing their usual fluency, but gradually improved and a neat build-up between Mark Dempsey and Lee Kissock was thwarted only when Dempsey's goal-bound shot was blocked.
Boro eventually broke the deadlock after 27 minutes. A long clearance by Simon Kelly caught the home defence square and Jody Banim latched onto the ball to coolly lift it over the stranded Andy Johnson and into the net.
Boro's lead lasted just 12 minutes. Ashton were awarded a free-kick 25 yards out and Alex Green curled his low shot round the wall and into the bottom corner.
Lee Kissock almost restored Boro's lead after 41 minutes, blazing just over from 12 yards out.
However, it was Ashton who grabbed a second a minute before the break. Battersby was caught in posssession and Connelly drew Hurst, leaving Phil Denney with a simple task to score.
Keeling replaced the ineffective Scott Wilson at half-time, but Boro could not find a way through the massed Ashton ranks.
The second half was largely one-way traffic with Boro in control, but lacking the invention required to unlock the home defence.
Former Boro keeper Johnston was rarely troubled, despite Elliott, Dempsey, Bean and Banim all trying their luck from outside the penalty area.
Boro's closest efforts came from from Lee Kissock, with a header that looped just over and a shot trickling just wide following a goalmouth scramble.
Ashton were prepared to defend in depth and attack on the break and these tactics almost brought a third goal. Hurst had to be out quickly to deny Connelly, then Denny headed against the bar from close range.
Landon replaced Price after 60 minutes as Boro sought to get something from the game, but for all their huffing and puffing, the visitors were unable to reproduce the form that defeated Harrogate three days earlier.
Glendon said on the morning after the night before: "I wasn't a happy bunny last night, so much so that they are in for training tonight as well as tomorrow.
"We have got Workington on Saturday. They are struggling at the bottom of the league and if we are going to win promotion we have to get results against teams like them."
RADCLIFFE BOROUGH: Hurst 7, Battersby 6, Whealing 6, S Kelly 7, Bean 7, Dempsey 6, Elliott 6, S Wilson 6, Kissock 7, Banim 6, Price 6. Substitutes: G Wilson (for Battersby, 72 mins) 6, Landon (for Price, 60 mins) 6, Keeling (for S Wilson, 46 mins) 6.
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