STEETON began the new month with a 3-0 home loss to high flying Droylsden.
Despite a battling performance throughout, the visitors from Greater Manchester took their chances when it mattered to take home the three points.
And in front of the largest crowd of the season to date at Marley Stadium, despite the result it was another showing of the recent improved performances for Roy Mason and his side given the result in the return fixture back in August.
The Chevrons came flying out of the traps and their pressing game caused early problems for the passing game across the Bloods defensive line.
Josh Debenham came closest to opening the scoring for the hosts, but Jordan Latham was quick out of his goal to clear the opportunity.
Dan Illingworth found a volley at his mercy from a corner, but the centre half got his angles all wrong and skewed his shot across the face of goal.
The game then went through a lull as both teams struggled to gain a grasp or control, with a few niggly chances leading to yellow cards for players in both green and red.
There was another opportunity for Steeton however the effort from Owen Williamson dipped over the crossbar.
But on the brink of half-time, the afternoon’s opening goal went the way of the promotion chasing visitors.
Hitting the home side on the counter, an exceptional ball was played across the park into the path of George Kattah.
Taking a touch to compose himself on the edge of the area, Kattah’s strike had enough power to find the top corner despite the best efforts of Brad Emmerson to try tip the shot wide of the near post.
The second half began with both sides creating a half chance, Droylsden wasted a chance from the immediate restart as they put a shot wide of the far post.
Latham in the visitors goal then kept his team in the lead with an outstanding diving save to tip a goal bound header from Illingworth around the uprights for a corner.
Another save from Latham this time denied Arley Barnes and launched his side on a counter.
Once at the other end, Emmerson made a spectacular save to turn an effort from range away from goal and out for a corner as the Steeton defensive line struggled to get back into position.
Looking to find the equaliser, the home team would eventually be punished for not finding the equaliser.
It would be from the counter attack in a carbon copy of the first goal.
This time Kattah would turn provider, playing an exquisite through ball across the face of the Steeton net to which Nelson Vann found himself unmarked at the far post to comfortably tap home into an empty net.
Now in the ascendency, Droylsden continued to push for a third goal but squandered a number of opportunities when working their way into position.
However, Mason’s team nearly halved the deficit and found a route back into the contest in accidental fashion.
Winning a free kick just inside the Droylsden half, Jacob Smith played a long ball forward to the box.
Caught by the wind, it very nearly dipped beneath the crossbar, but Latham again was wise and plucked the ball out of the air managing to keep it out of his goal under pressure.
The visitors found that third goal to end the game as a contest late on, Kattah being played through one-on-one and again firing home to send the away support into scenes of jubilation.
Another home game now awaits for Steeton on Saturday.
STEETON (Subs): Emmerson; M Smith; Lloyd; Barnes; Illingworth; Holgate (J Smith); Green (Mitchell); A Stewart (Coe); Debenham; Williamson (Shillito); Gartland (Townsend).
