STEETON exited the Edward Case First Division Challenge Cup in the first round on the back of a 4-1 away loss to Atherton Laburnum Rovers on Tuesday night.
The Chevrons, who fell to a seventh straight loss as a result of this defeat, were good value in the match for the first hour.
However, after falling behind shortly after, the men in green capitulated in a fashion that left both Roy Mason and his assistant Jacob Mistry visibly and audibly frustrated and angry with their side.
It was a result that also had Mason questioning not just his own future, but that of some of his players as Steeton’s wretched run of form continued into a second month.
On a cold and wet evening in Lancashire, it appeared the evening might bring with it an upturn in recent form for the visitors as they took an early lead.
Despite forcing two good early saves from Joe Bickerstaffe, it was a stroke of genius, or moment of luck depending on what side you were on, that saw Steeton take an early lead.
After forcing a throw in the corner, the ball was sent up the channel to the feet of Macca Smith.
Taking a step and cutting inside, the right back whipped the ball into the Atherton box.
With the down slope at his advantage, Smith saw the ball evade everyone within the area and wrong foot Bickerstaffe as it crept inside the far post to break the deadlock.
Though Steeton started brightly, the visitors equalised midway through the half.
After a long ball up the slope, Tom Romano read the line beautifully to draw both Jacob Smith and Alfie Gibbon towards him.
With a gap now left by the centre halves, Romano stepped inside to slide the ball past James Catlow to level the scoreboard.
The first half continued at a fast and furious pace, both Catlow and Bickerstaffe making a number of good stops.
Josh Coe came closest before the break as he beat the offside trap on the back of a brilliant individual piece of play by Jake Townsend, but the strike was straight at Bickerstaffe.
Returning for the second half, the opening quarter of the hour after the break was an even encounter with both teams looking for the important third goal in the match.
But a Steeton collapse in the final half hour of the match not only proved the difference on the night, but also raised a series of questions rather than answers for Mason and Mistry as a busy month continues.
The home side took the lead from the spot on 63 minutes.
Hitting their visitors on the counter, an attempted cross into the box struck the raised arm of the diving Jacob Smith as the defender looked to make the block.
Leaving the referee with no option but to award the penalty, Harvey Sample placed the ball into the bottom corner to put his side into the lead.
And the match went out of Steeton’s reach through their own doing.
Failing to clear the ball from their own box, a breakdown in communication saw both Catlow and his centre halves stood looking at a free ball.
An Atherton man reacted quickest to knock the ball into the path of Cristian Mukoko, who tapped home into an empty net from a yard out.
With four minutes to go, the home team put the icing on the cake.
Hitting Steeton on the counter once more after a lunging tackle was missed in the middle of the park, substitute Dan Lenehan swept the ball across Catlow and inside the far post.
Steeton host 12th-placed Maghull in the league this Saturday desperately looking for a win to arrest their current slump.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here