STEETON were left to rue missed chances throughout as they fell to defeat on the road at Garstang.
Dominant for large periods of the game, a combination of wasted opportunities and failing to build on possession saw the visitors become their own worst enemies.
However, it would be a minute of madness either side of the half-time interval that proved the Chevrons downfall with manager Roy Mason left to bemoan his sides defensive frailties once again.
With a number of players unavailable on the night forcing a shuffle in the Steeton pack, they began slowly and only didn’t fall behind early on thanks to a superb last ditch defensive effort from Josh Coe to turn a goal bound strike away for a corner.
As the first half continued, the visitors grew into the game and soon began to control the ball and possession.
Their first effort of the evening coming through Kevin Gonzalez, returning from suspension, but his initial effort was saved.
Steeton then found themselves frustrated by Joe Lawton in the Garstang goal as the goalkeeper pulled off a string of fine saves to keep the game goalless.
He first made two good stops, one low to his right and a diving effort to his left, to deny Dan Smith.
Lawton continued to frustrate the Steeton attacking line with an outstanding outstretched hand to somehow turn Marley Spence’s strike from the edge of the area away for a corner.
Then in the third and final minute of injury time at the end of the first half, Garstang broke the deadlock.
Steeton failed to deal with a corner delivered on top of Brad Emmerson.
This in turn allowed for a melee in the air with Ellis Hancox rising highest at the far post to head home from a yard out to give his side the lead.
Looking to get back on the front foot as the second half began, further disaster followed just thirty seconds from the restart.
A long ball forward was not dealt with by the Chevrons makeshift defensive line and Wesley Bajraliu got hold of possession.
The striker raced through on goal and despite Emmerson getting a hand to the ball, the power of the strike was enough to send it inside the near post and double the Garstang advantage.
The visitors almost found an immediate route back into the game as Dan Smith again found himself free on the left wing.
This time however his thunderbolt of a strike rattled the inside of the post before cruelly bouncing away from goal allowing the home side to scramble the ball away from their goal.
Continuing to push, the Chevrons proved wasteful in front of goal with Gonzalez putting an effort from near to the penalty spot wide of the far post.
A number of good deliveries from the channels also constantly being won at the first ball by the Garstang defence.
With time running out and skipper Arley Barnes, the only centre-back available on the night, off injured, Mason gambled with a tactical shift which saw top scorer Coe moved back up front.
Coe would provide the assist for the equaliser as his initial header from Macca Smith’s corner looped into the air and was not dealt with by the host’s defence.
Despite having his back to goal, Spence flicked the ball into the net from close range with his head to half the deficit.
It however proved too little, too late, for Steeton as they fell to defeat and into the relegation zone.
Thus making Saturday’s home fixture against Ashton Athletic now all that more important.
STEETON (Subs): Emmerson; M Smith; Dowden; Barnes (Howard); Coe; Spence; Abbas (Green); Mulvihill-Simpson; Gonzalez; Terrelonge (Burrows); D Smith.
GOAL (Assist): Spence 90+4’ (Coe)
