WITTON lost to the league’s worst team only days after producing their best performance of the season to beat Skelmersdale.

That Droylsden, already relegated and without a single victory in their previous 38 Premier Division matches, ended that wait against Albion only made matters worse.

The visitors overturned a three-goal interval deficit to level, only for Sefton Gonzales to settle the outcome in the Bloods’ favour with eight minutes left.

“We climbed a mountain only to trip over the edge,” said Witton boss Brian Pritchard.

“Mentally, the players proved they aren’t strong enough despite being warned not to let slip the high standards they’ve set in the past few weeks.

“We were outplayed in the first half, simple as that.”

Witton, unbeaten in half a dozen league games, trailed inside nine minutes when Domaine Rouse was left unmarked to convert a corner prompted by Matt Cooper’s save from Sam Madeley.

Jon Dawson then tripped Madeley within shooting distance, leaving Sam Freakes to swerve in direct from a free kick to double Droylsden’s lead.

They added a third when Gonzales charged down Cooper’s clearance, attempted after a pass played towards him was held up in surface water on a rain-sodden pitch.

Albion scored twice in as many minutes at the start of the second half to launch a comeback,

Danny Andrews netting from Dawson’s cross before Scott Bakkor pounced on a loose ball to drill in via an upright.

When Andrews chipped a cute third over custodian Craig Dootson to restore parity, Witton were favourites to win.

However they were left red-faced – and pointless – when Gonzales won a foot race with Ben Harrison before shooting low past Cooper with time running out.

Pritchard said: “The players’ attitude was wrong, and they were punished.

“We didn’t adapt to the conditions, nor did we cope well with the physical presence of their front men. I warned of the risks if we didn’t perform, but it seems like nobody that needed to was listening.”

Witton Cooper (GK), Brown, Bodie, Harrison, Moyo (Jackson), Andrews, Gardner, Powell, Dawson, Bakkor, Titchiner Subs not used Breeze, Hancock, Sheehan, Moseley Attendance 135