Daisy Hill’s poor run of recent form in the North West Counties League First Division North continued on Saturday when they fell to a 1-0 defeat at Runcorn Town.

After conceding the only goal of the game in the fifth minute to Runcorn’s Charlie Holland, Daisy’s hopes were boosted when Town keeper James Chew was red carded midway through the first half for deliberate handball.

But despite dominating possession and creating a number of chances, Daisy failed to break through resolute defending from a Runcorn side desperate to move out of the relegation zone.

Daisy joint-manager Leighton Mills summed up the frustration in the visiting camp afterwards.

“We knew it was going to be a tough afternoon, but the game was poor, it was probably the worst game we have played in all season,” said Mills.

“We had a bit of luck when the goalkeeper was sent off, but as everybody knows when a team goes down to 10 men, it doesn’t always become any easier.

“They were 1-0 up at that point, they are fighting for their lives, they defended well and were happy to defend the lead, and we didn’t do enough to win the game.

“We were unlucky with a Connor Hughes shot that hit the bar before half time, and if that had gone in, we would have been coming out with another 45 minutes to play and I feel we’d have gone on and won the game.

“But as the second half wore on, they just kept defending deeper and deeper, and protected the replacement keeper very well, throwing bodies in the way to stop shots going at him.

“It’s tough when a team is so deep and have two banks of four, there are no gaps and you have to try to look for flick-ons and look to win the second ball.

“Any bit of luck that goes against us seems to end up with the ball going in the back of our net, but that is where we are at the moment.

“We just have to go away and regroup, and get into training this week and go again.”

The afternoon began badly for Daisy when Runcorn went ahead in the fifth minute from some messy defending.

A long ball over the top deceived the Daisy defence and keeper Kier Barry sprinted from his goal to clear the ball away from the advancing Runcorn striker Neil Weaver.

Barry won the chase, but his clearance landed at the feet of Holland, who reacted quickly to loft the ball over the out of position keeper into the net.

But in the 20th minute Daisy appeared to have been handed a route back into the game, when Hensley Mills attempted to beat Runcorn keeper Chew with a long-range chip and the keeper handled the ball outside the box.

The referee had no hesitation in showing a red card for the offence, and after a delay of a couple of minutes, former Daisy Hill midfielder Sam Howell came off the bench to don the goalkeeper’s jersey.

However, it was Runcorn who created the next chance of the game when James Salkeld stung the palms of Barry.

But after Regan Jarrett shot wide, Daisy came desperately close to levelling the scores four minutes before half time.

Good work from Jamie Ramwell set up Connor Hughes for a shot from 20 yards that hit the underside of the bar and rebounded back into play, and moments later Hughes and Hensley Mills both had shots blocked before Mitch Nolan shot wide as Daisy built up some momentum.

The visitors started on the front foot in the second half with skipper Kieran Nolan leading the way, first hooking the ball over within seconds of the restart and then coming close when he steered a cross from Joe Rothwell just wide on the hour mark.

But as the game wore on, Runcorn sat deep defending their lead and Daisy were restricted to long range efforts that never seriously tested replacement keeper Howell, and it could have been worse a minute from time, when Runcorn hit on the break and goalscorer Holland came close to grabbing his second of the afternoon, blasting over after Barry had blocked his first effort at point blank range.

Daisy’s next game in the league is on Saturday when they host South Liverpool at New Sirs (3pm).