Chadderton 2-0 Cheadle Town
Are you a "glass half-full" or "half-empty" kind of person?
Half-full? Then our form isn't too bad. If you're counting all competitions then it's three wins in the last six.
Half-empty? As far as league form is concerned it's one win in the last seven and this was our first league defeat at Andrew Street since the 2011-12 season.
Your outlook on life also determines how you viewed our performance in this defeat. The "fulls" will be citing our bad luck - we struck the woodwork twice - whilst the "emptys" will point to the fact that our keeper Danny Whiting was Chadderton's choice for Man of the Match and the scoreline could have been a lot worse on a different day.
The scoreline at half-time was 1-0 to Chadderton and came as a result of us never really "getting going" in that first 45 minutes.
Our only foray into the Chadderton box came in the 5th minute when Rick Whyatt's cross from the right looked on a plate for George Clarey but he couldn't finish.
From then on it was the hosts who had the better of it. Danny Whiting came out bravely to deny their no11 Leon Illuobe on the quarter-hour mark with Joe Shaw then heading off the line after they had been granted a free shot at the far post from a corner.
The deadlock was broken just before the half-hour and in slightly farcical circumstances from our defence's point of view as a throw-in from the right was inadvertently headed across the face of our own goal, straight into the path of an unmarked Jordan Matthew who had time to take a touch and slam home.
Their no9 Matthew Buckley then curled an effort inches wide before Danny Whiting made an incredible one-handed save to deny a close-range header just before half-time.
A different half, a different - better - Cheadle.
Rick Whyatt and Adam Gardiner combined to provide George Clarey with a chance but he was denied by a close-range save with Antony Trucca's header cleared off the line from the resulting corner.
Rick Whyatt then had a chance of his own on 57 minutes as he was sent clear on the right but he too had his effort saved.
After a short break to allow for a dog that had decided to join in on the pitch Jake Ambrose headed an Adam Gardiner free-kick over the bar with the action then straight down the other end as Danny Whiting got his hand to an effort with Joe Shaw mopping up the loose ball and hacking off the line.
And straight after that Jake Ambrose laid off for Tom Russell to ping one from the edge of the area, only to see it skim off the top of the crossbar.
As the match entered its final ten minutes Danny Whiting was busy again, coming out to punch a long throw clear and then having to beat away the second effort that came his way.
With five minutes left on the clock Chadderton extended their lead and sealed the points.
From our corner Chadderton broke downfield, lost possession and then - thanks to our carelessness - regained it again, feeding Matthew Buckley down the left who forced Danny Whiting into a good stop only for him to tap in the rebound.
Next up is a trip to struggling Nelson whose only victory this season has come against us! Chance for revenge and to arrest the slump in league form.
TEAM: Whiting, Dunn, Ratican, Trucca, Shaw, Harrison (Delaney), Ambrose, Russell (Plumb), Gardiner (Plumb), Whyatt, Clarey. SUBS: Delaney, Piggott (gk), Cotton, Plumb.
