Daisy Hill’s hopes of moving back in to the promotion play-off places suffered another blow when they fell to a 2-0 defeat to FC St Helens in the North West Counties League First Division North at New Sirs on Saturday.

After Daisy had dominated the opening 25 minutes, the visitors grabbed the initiative with two goals in the final eight minutes of the first half.

Although the hosts battled hard to get back into the game, and Connor Hughes hit the bar with a free-kick late on, FC St Helens held out to collect all three points from their first ever visit to New Sirs.

Daisy joint-manager Leighton Mills felt afterwards a lack of penetration up front in the second half was his side’s biggest failing on the day.

“For the first 25 minutes I thought we were good, it’s probably our best start to a game for a while,” said Mills.

“But once they scored that first goal, we looked done. It was as if someone had just pulled a plug out, and then we got sucker punched with another goal a few seconds before half time.

“That left us deflated and we never really recovered.

“In the second half, we were getting into good areas and putting some balls into the box, but often the last ball was not good enough.

“Even when it was, we aren’t going to score if there is only one player in there, which is what was happening.

“It was just one of those games, and it was a tough afternoon for us in the end.”

There was little sign of the disappointment to come when Daisy began the game on the front foot, and created several good chances in the opening quarter of the game.

In the first minute Connor Hughes had a free-kick deflected for a corner, and three minutes later Jake Parker almost scored a spectacular long-range goal from 40 yards when he spotted visiting keeper Joe Mason off his line and lofted a long ball towards goal.

But the keeper recovered to claw the ball away, colliding with the post in the process.

Jack Coop then found the back of the net but was flagged offside, and at the other end, Kier Barry in the Daisy goal made a smart save from FC St Helens’ first effort of the game, diving full length to push away a well-struck shot from Nathan Dutton-Kay.

From the resulting corner, Elliot Bradshaw curled a shot just wide, and straight from the restart play swung up the other end and Jamie Ramwell outpaced the FC St Helens back line but shot wide of the goal.

It had been a frantic opening, but it was the visitors who struck a vital blow with a well-worked opening goal eight minutes before half time.

Jack Graham picked up ball midway inside the Daisy half and placed a measured pass through to John Edgerton, who beat Barry with a cool finish from 10 yards.

Daisy responded with a shot on the turn from Coop that was saved by the keeper, but FC St Helens delivered a hammer blow with a second goal from the last move of the first half.

The ball was moved out to Graham on the left wing, and he played a pass to Brad Green on the edge of the box, who was allowed time and space to turn and shoot low into the bottom corner.

It was a hugely disappointing end to the half for Daisy, and after the break they enjoyed good possession but struggled to break down a solid FC St Helens defence, who were happy to sit deep and hit on the counter attack.

With 12 minutes left, Daisy had a let off when Green almost grabbed his second of the afternoon when he hit the post with a header, but at the other end luck was not on their side with a minute remaining.

Niall Sultan was tripped on the edge of the box going through on goal, and from the resulting free-kick Hughes was unlucky to see his effort rebound off the bar with the keeper beaten.

Daisy’s next game in the North West Counties League First Division North is on Saturday, when Steeton are the visitors to New Sirs (3pm).