A strong first half performance from Atherton Collieries was ultimately undone by a second-half double salvo from hosts Hyde, as they went down 3-2 on the road.

Goals from Enock Lusiama and Lewis Thompson gave Colls a deserved first-half lead, but replies from Joel Amado, Jack Redshaw and Matthew Fearnley were ultimately enough for the Tigers to claim all three points.

The Colls started the game brightest as, five minutes in, an early free-kick taken by Jordan Scanlon was turned home by Sidi Fofana, only for the assistant’s flag to deny the tenacious midfielder.

The breakthrough would come, though, little over 15 minutes later as Lusiama showed great strength to dispossess Harry Ditchfield in the Tigers’ area before placing the ball into the bottom left corner to give the Colls a deserved lead.

One became two 20 minutes later as a wonderful link-up between captain Lewis Mansell and Scanlon allowed the midfielder to find the marauding Thompson, who cut inside Ditchfield before unleashing a strike into the right corner which doubled the visitors’ lead.

The Tigers replied just before half time as former Colls man Amado was quickest to react from a Hyde free-kick as he volleyed home his second in seven days.

The half-time introduction of Jack Redshaw, combined with a galvanized influence from Harry Bunn, gave the hosts an early second-half impetus, as the Tigers took control for the opening 10 minutes after the interval.

A little more than five minutes after the break, the Tigers were level as a good piece of interplay broke through a stout Collieries defence and allowed the on-loan Manasse Mampala to find the prolific Redshaw who smashed home a leveller.

Then, two minutes later, the Tigers comeback was complete as Fearnley capitalised on a rare defensive error from Mo Ali. Amado’s fellow former Colls man picked the defender’s pocket before shovelling the ball past a despairing Tom Donaghy in goal.

For the remainder of the game, the Colls were on top, controlling possession but struggling to break down the staunch Tigers defence.

That was until a late corner fell to Luke Partington, whose strike must have struck every player in the six-yard box before ultimately miraculously falling into the hands of Jordan Eastham in the Hyde goal as the referee blew his whistle.

The Colls go again tomorrow night, welcoming Guiseley for a rearranged fixture at the Skuna Stadium (7.45pm).