Holker Old Boys striker Tyler Wood headed the only goal of the game in stoppage time, to stage a smash-and-grab win for his side against Daisy Hill at the Plumb Factory Stadium on Saturday.

A spirited second-half display from Daisy, who were reduced to 10 men after Kaiden Barlow’s two yellow cards in the opening 35 minutes, seemed to have done enough to earn a point that would have been well deserved.

But Wood’s last-gasp header sealed victory for his side, and moved them into third in the North West Counties League First Division North.

Daisy’s assistant manager, Dave Turner, summed up the mood in the home camp afterwards.

“We’ve maybe not done enough to win the game, but I don’t think we deserved to lose it,” said Turner. “I thought in the first half we were poor and miles off it, and the players were told that at half time.

“But I really feel for the boys, as in the second half they really put everything into it. To a man, they were absolutely faultless, and I can’t say a bad word about that second half.

“I don’t think Holker ever cut us open or really created a clear chance, even though we had ten men for 55 minutes, and it’s just a corner in the 93rd minute that has won the game for them.

“The lads are saying it wasn’t a corner, as no one got a touch on the shot that went out, but that’s irrelevant really.

“If we just defend that corner, we’d be picking up a well-deserved point, and those are the fine margins that decide games.

“Holker are a good side who know how to win football matches, and they will be up there challenging at the end of the season.

“But over the two games we’ve played against them this season, I think we have matched them.

“It’s disappointing to lose to a sucker punch like that right at the death, but we have to dust ourselves down as in less than 48 hours we’ve got Droylsden coming here, who are one of the strongest teams in the league.

“So the lads have to recover on Sunday, and then go again on Monday.”

It was a game that never properly sparked to life in the first half, with the notable moments confined to the closing stages.

Nine minutes from the break, Daisy were reduced to 10 men when Barlow was shown a second yellow card, after a mistimed challenge on Holker’s Luke Ellis.

Holker’s best chance of the half arrived three minutes from half time when Daisy keeper Lewis Woodcock pushed out a shot from Joshua Woodend, and when the ball ran free Wood blasted over from 20 yards.

Daisy’s best effort turned out to be the last action of the first half, when Alex Dodd was tripped on the edge of the box and Charlie Roberts curled the resulting free-kick just over.

In the opening stages of the second half, Daisy were on the back foot as Holker tried to press home their one-man advantage, and after Charlie McGladdery fired a shot wide from the edge of the box, stout defending from the hosts denied Wood, whose close-range shot was cleared off the line.

Daisy’s best chance of the half arrived 13 minutes from time, when strong running by Ryan Talbot took him down the left flank, before driving a low cross into the six-yard box that just evaded Sam Twist.

But as the game moved into stoppage time, Daisy keeper Woodcock was adjudged to have got his fingertips to Luke Davey shot, and a corner was awarded. When it was swung in, Wood evaded his marker to get on the end of the cross, and seal victory.

Daisy are back in action on Monday when they host Droylsden in another league fixture (3pm).