RADCLIFFE BORO 0 OSSETT TOWN 2

FOOTBALL is a cruel game when you are down at the bottom and, once again, Radcliffe Borough found that out to their cost.

Boro were the better side over the 90 minutes of this contest, but it was an all too familiar story of missed chances, poor refereeing and general bad luck that saw Andy Johnston's men leave the field empty-handed.

The game hinged on a second-half penalty decision that saw Ian Fitzpatrick booked for diving after he looked to have been brought down by visiting keeper Jon Worsnop. However, the disappointment of that decision soon paled into significance compared to the anguish felt when Ossett twice found the net against the run of play minutes later.

Borough included new signing Lee Fitzpatrick (brother of striker Ian) in their starting line-up, and the former Hartlepool midfielder added industry to Matty O'Neill's skill in a dominant home midfield.

Both players shot wide during a cagey opening, with Tim Dittmer keeping Boro in contention with a fine save from Carl Fothergill after some fine work from Neill Ross.

Ian Fitzpatrick shot wide on the stroke of half-time after some fine work from O'Neill, and the teams went in at the interval level.

Boro were still the better side in the second period, but might have created more clear-cut openings before the penalty incident on 60 minutes.

Ian Fitzpatrick should have done much better when he found himself through on goal after some sterling work from Haydn Eames, but the former Droylsden man elected to shoot when he should have crossed.

The warning signs were there for Boro when Fothergill brought another top save from Dittmer, and Boro's inability to turn dominance into goals came back to haunt them ten minutes from the end when the same player made it 1-0.

Boro committed extra men forward in a brave attempt to haul themselves back into the contest, and were caught on the counter-attack on 85 minutes when Andy Hayward found himself with the freedom of the town, and the striker lobbed Dittmer to complete Boro's misery.

The game mirrored so many previous encounters at Stainton Park this season, but the end result is still a bitter pill for the home faithful to swallow.