A CONTROVERSIAL decision increased the relegation pressure on Atherton LR.

The game was finely poised at 1-1 when, on the hour, Gary Brickhill, returning from an offside position, turned to chase a clearance, collected and rounded Danny Hambleton to give Flixton a hotly-disputed lead.

Two minutes later it was 3-1 when Hambleton lost his footing as he attempted to save Mike Hogan's curling 25-yard drive.

Flixton had taken the lead on the half-hour when Neil Wright was adjudged to have handled in the area and Paul Kirkham made no mistake from the spot.

Atherton equalised on the stroke of half-time when Gavin McDonald forced the ball home from close-range following a goalmouth scramble.

Manager Dave Morris, with four players suspended, now faces the difficult job of lifting his players for Saturday's visit to fellow strugglers Gretna.

He felt the decision for Brickhill's goal turned the game. "We had fought our way back into it and then had a terrible decision that cost us dearly," he said.

"I don't know what the linesman was thinking about. It was disgraceful. Our heads went down for a spell and we conceded the important third."

LEIGH ATHLETIC made hard work of beating a poor Bolton Wyresdale 3-1.

But they stay in the title hunt with goals from Andy Pickles and Gordon Walker 2.

Good efforts from Gordon Spowart, rock solid in defence, and goalkeeper Steve Hilton.

Leigh 2nd won 4-3 at Rossendale with goals from Steve Clough 2, Neil Keegan and Richard Scott.

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