Great Harwood 1 Atherton Cols 3

HARWOOD boss Denis Underwood confessed he cannot wait for the season to end after his struggling Reds slumped to a fifth successive league defeat.

Another ragged display, littered with missed chances and slack defending, led to Harwood's downfall as lowly Cols leapfrogged The Showgrounders in the FNWTL First Division table. Underwood himself was forced to don the keeper's jersey in the absence of Lee Kennedy but he was left woefully exposed by his back four. Paul Walker, Clive Dunn and Martin Aspinwall all spurned great chances before Lee Bowles fired the visitors ahead on 24 minutes after the Harwood defence twice failed to clear a corner.

But Aspinwall made amends for his earlier miss by hauling the home side level four minutes before the break with a rasping volley which flew into the top corner.

The Reds should have put the game out of reach in the second half as Dunn, Aspinwall and Walker all wasted further opportunities.

But suddenly the Harwood defence was caught out by a long clearance after Dunn lost possession in the 68th minute and Colin Lomas raced through to chip Underwood.

As the home side threw everyone forward in search of a late equaliser, Cols hit them on the break again with 10 minutes left when Chris Smith latched onto a measured through ball.

Lee Kennedy's season appears to be over after he damaged his knee ligaments playing for the Post Office in the Orphanage Cup last night.