Eccleshill United 1 Bottesford Town 2

A bright opening soon faded as Eccleshill United’s Jekyll and Hyde season continued with another home defeat.

The desire and the determination of the side that had beaten league leaders Athersley Recreation last time out was nowhere to be seen.

The Eagles had pushed Evo-Stik Premier Division outfit North Ferriby United all the way in an FA Cup tie weeks earlier but on this showing they proved no match for a mid-table side from their own division.

It should have been so different following a whirlwind start by the Eagles.

In the first minute, Charlie Flaherty’s ball into the near post was just smuggled off Victor Balis’s toe by a relieved visiting keeper and soon after a shot from Brandon Roane went close before a low centre from Ricardo Cubillo flashed through Bottesford’s six-yard box.

The breakthrough came in the ninth minute when right back Dylan Stone ended a superb run with a neat pass inside. Balis received the ball and controlled it before drilling a shot into the bottom right-hand corner.

Eccleshill threatened to increase their lead. Flaherty sent in some range-finding free-kicks before Roane and Stone combined well before the latter sent in an angled shot that beat the visitors’ keeper but was hacked clear.

Midway through the first half, a promising Eccleshill attack ended with a weak long-range effort from Roane. His shot from distance seemed to sum up the Eagles’ ebbing confidence and spirit.

From then on it was a different game as Bottesford turned the early tide.

The equaliser came in the 37th minute, although there was a touch of fortune about it. Stone got in a good block tackle but the loose ball dropped into the path of Alex Hipkins and his shot took a hefty deflection before flying in over diving keeper Karl Martens’ outstretched arm.

The Eagles managed a few half-chances before the break but Town dominated in the second half and won it with a looping effort from visiting skipper Danny Boulton that was flagged over the line by the assistant referee.

Three minutes into stoppage time Eccleshill could have snatched something from the game as a Flaherty free-kick was headed on by Stone but Balis spooned the ball over the bar at the far post with half of the net gaping in front of him.

Eagles boss, former City player Ian Banks, said: “I was disappointed with most of the game. We were the better side for 20 minutes and then it all went wrong. The decision-making of the players is questionable and in the second half we didn’t show enough bottle.”