Wheels fall off

Boro bandwagon "IT looks like the wheels have well and truly fell off," said a disappointed Radcliffe Borough secretary David Murgatroyd after Tuesday's shock 3-0 home defeat in the UniBond Challenge Cup by Droylsden.

Kevin Glendon's side looked certain to dispose of the Premier Division strugglers in this tie.

Droylesden had hardly been able to do anything right this season while Boro had been tearing the First Division apart up until last weekend in a shock 1-0 reverse at Gretna.

Two defeats does not a crisis make, but the puzzling aspect of these two games is that, after an injury-plagued but unbeaten start, Glendon had a full squad to select from!

One question does however jump out and hit you about all our three local Unibond League clubs. Where have all the centre backs gone?

Boro got torn apart in the centre of defence by Droylesden's fast-running forwards and the woodwork was hit three times as well as the three goals conceded. LEIGH RMI have looked woeful in defence at times this season and in a cracking League Cup tie at Hilton Park on Wednesday clocked up a superb 6-4 victory over Great Harwood Town but, of the four goals conceded, three came in the last 10 minutes right down the middle of the RMI defence. This is not the first time this has happened in recent games.

ATHERTON LR have had no less than five regular first team centre backs on the unavailable list since the start of the season and manager Dave Morris has had to resort to using midfielder Paul Burrows as a stop-gap.

LR looked the better placed of the three to come up with a solution with the necessary quality already on the books once players recover from injury and with last week's signing of Lee Sculpher from Clitheroe.

In the meantime no doubt Steve Waywell at RMI with his collection of first team scouts and Kevin Glendon at Boro with his network of contacts will be scouring the region looking for the right men.

Waywell, on the other hand, had much to take heart from in the mid-week Cup win with on-loan striker Ian Monk hitting a hat-trick.

A small fee has now been agreed with Macclesfield Town manager Sammy McIlroy for a permanent move and the final decision rests with the player himself.

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