IAN Street, 1874 Northwich’s manager, admitted that his side had failed to show their promotion credentials during a 1-0 defeat at Atherton Collieries on Saturday.

Ben Hardcastle’s goal separated the teams at full-time, leaving the visiting boss to concede a task to win the North West Counties League title was now more complicated.

“It’s advantage Colls,” he said.

“They’ve got a really tough run-in still, so we’re a way yet from saying it’s theirs to lose.

“It’s more difficult for us, but we’ll keep trying to win as many games as we can from here.”

They slip to fourth in the Premier Division table, five points adrift of leaders Bootle with a game in hand.

However Colls, second only on goal difference after winning their past dozen league fixtures, have played fewer matches than Northwich.

Street told the Guardian that he felt 1874 had fallen short in a close contest.

“Too many lads were below-par,” he said.

“I feel frustrated because we haven’t done ourselves justice; ok, we lost, but we haven’t gone down fighting or had a real go at them.

“I don’t know if that’s down to a lack of belief, or whether Colls were just a bit cleverer than us.

“They’re consistent, and find a way to get the job done – they’ve beaten us and Bootle now in successive games without conceding a goal.

“By any measure that’s a tremendous few days.”

He did not condemn his side’s defending for Colls’ goal, created by Vinny Bailey from a quickly-taken corner.

The midfielder dribbled around Matty Russell after the full-back slipped in an attempt to close down, then cut the ball back for Hardcastle to drill it low past goalkeeper Greg Hall through a crowd of bodies.

Street said: “It came against the run of play, but I felt it was a good goal from a rehearsed routine.

"It was well-worked, though of course it didn’t help us that Matty lost his footing.”