WITTON should have seen this coming.

Not once had they beaten Burscough at home in the Northern Premier League, a record that remains unchanged thanks to Will Jones’ second-half brace.

His side deserved to prevail after posing the biggest attacking threat after the interval.

Before it, there had been nothing to separate two evenly-matched teams.

Carl Macauley’s men have now failed to win any of their past four Division One North fixtures, collecting only two points.

If hopes had still lingered of challenging for a promotion play-offs place, they’re gone.

This was a jaded Albion, lacking the energy that characterised their performances at the turn of the year.

A third game in seven days, their first in Wincham since January, proved one too many for a group that appears increasingly reliant on Rob Hopley’s goals.

But he was restricted to glimmers of the target.

Burscough’s attacks bore no fruit either in the first half.

They created the best chance, when Jones’ drive was diverted around an upright by goalkeeper Owen Evans, in the ninth minute.

Anthony Brown stabbed wide from a set-piece, while at the other end Hopley attempted to redirect Carl Peers’ shot past net-minder Calvin Hare without success.

Burscough, clinging on to fifth place after suffering four defeats from their previous half-dozen league games, displayed more urgency in the second half.

Will Smart missed a sitter, heading off-target after he was left unmarked.

Captain Paul Williams had more reason to curse after watching his angled attempt scrape the far post after Elliot Newby had led a Linnets counter-attack.

Michael Monaghan went closer still 60 seconds later when, after inexplicably being allowed to spin inside the penalty area, he blasted against the crossbar.

It seemed simpler to have scored.

Albion, unable to connect with isolated front pair Hopley and Darrhyl Mason, offered little by way of a response.

Instead they fell behind on 72 minutes.

Liam Caddick wasn’t closed down on the left, and Jones glanced his arced assist against the inside of an upright.

He was less forgiving with the rebound, nudging the ball into an empty net.

Monaghan was wasteful again when he ghosted into a shooting space, this time curling wide with his left foot.

Jones showed his teammate how it should be done with eight minutes left.

Again he reacted quickest, threading a powerful shot past Evans after Witton’s custodian had saved smartly Smart’s thumping header from a Caddick corner.

Albion served up a series of poorly-executed free kicks, and little else, on their way to a first home defeat since mid-November.

Burscough, of course, are used to no losing in this part of Northwich.

Witton | 4-4-2 | Evans (GK), Gardner, Mullarkey, Wilson, Parker, Andrews, Peers, Schofield, Owens (Noone 81), Hopley, Mason (Newton 73) Subs not used Garner (GK), Dawson, Chrisokhou Booked Andrews (foul)

Burscough | 4-4-3 | Hare (GK), Camozzi, Brown, Ryan, Devine, Smart, Williams, Newby (Carroll 81), Monaghan, Jones (Conchie 90), Caddick (Quirk 85) Subs not used Noon, Jewell Goals Jones 72, 82

Referee Chris Porter

Attendance 243