LITTLE LEVER’S 6-2 defeat at Failsworth Dynamos saw them drop back into the bottom two of the Premier Division with only four games left to play.

Lee Buckley's side were unable to sustain an excellent first-half performance and succumbed to a 14th defeat of the season in one of only two matches played at the weekend due to the wintry weather.

Unfortunately for Lever, second-bottom Prestwich’s match against Old Blackburnians was the other game to go ahead.

And the reigning champions, who changed their manager last week after enduring a nightmare campaign, enjoyed a change of fortunes, winning 4-1 to jump two places and move two points clear of Lever and a point better off than Old Blacks.

The fate of Buckley's outfit is now in the hands of their relegation rivals, who both have three games in hand.

But they will more than likely have to win at least three of their remaining four fixtures to stay in the top-flight, and their visit to Old Blacks on March 28 is now shaping up to be a relegation decider.

Buckley insists, however, they will keep battling.

“Our performances continue to be good," he said.

"Failsworth’s manager came up to me after the match and said the score-line flattered them.

"We were the better side for 45 minutes before getting opened up on a big pitch.

"That was in part due to changing to an attacking formation."

Failsworth opened the scoring after 15 minutes, but Lever responded with goals from their two most consistent performers.

Craig Bingham and Leon Farrimond combined to pull them level on 20 minutes, when Farrimond crossed for Bingham to head in.

Failsworth had a goal disallowed on 40 minutes before Farrimond gave Lever a 2-1 lead on the stroke of half-time.

But the visitors conceded two goals in quick succession after the break and Failsworth picked them off as they went in search of an equaliser, scoring three more goals.

A home match against Howe Bridge Mills is next up for Little Lever.

Paul White's mid-table side have been in fantastic form in the second half of the season, but a six-match unbeaten run, which included an 8-3 victory over Lever, was ended last week by Rochdale St Clements.

Mills missed the chance to bounce back from that defeat after their match against Old Boltonians was postponed at the weekend due to a waterlogged pitch, while Castle Hill’s game at North Walkden went the same way.

Old Bolts remain second with three games in hand of leaders Mostonians, while Hill are still nine-points adrift of safety.