KARL Marginson has warned his players after rivals Salford City ended their 100 per cent start to the season: Shape up or ship out.

The Gigg Lane outfit failed to re-write the North West Counties League record books when they slipped to their first defeat of the season in dramatic fashion in front of a crowd of 4,058 at The Willows on Tuesday night.

The breakaway club were chasing a 13th consecutive league victory and looked as if they were on course for three more points when Josh Howard fired the Reds into an 80th-minute lead, but Salford struck twice in injury time through substitute Jamie Baggueley and Nick Robinson to end the Division One leaders' perfect record just as they ended Skelmersdale's 12-game winning run a year ago.

It was no more than the home side deserved after United, for the first time this season, had been out-battled and out-fought by their opponents.

Red's boss Marginson was disappointed with his players after his side's run came to an end, especially after they gave the ball away for the winning goal deep into stoppage time.

"I'm gutted," he said. "We didn't play with our heads. After they equalised we should have settled for what we had but we gave the ball away and they scored.

"If the lads want to stay at the club and carry on going forward they need to step up, keep playing intelligent football and learning, or leave the club."

Marginson will now want his players to bounce back from the defeat, only United's fourth since they were formed 15 months ago, as they hit the road to Wembley at weekend. The Reds travel to Division Two side Padiham in the first round of the FA Vase on Saturday knowing a victory would leave them seven games away from a trip to the national stadium.

United convincingly beat Brodsworth Miners' Welfare in the qualifying tie last month and are among the favourites to win the nationwide competition after already defeating Vase holders, Nantwich Town this term.

The final is scheduled to be at the new Wembley, provided the legal dispute which is holding up the completion of the construction can be overcome in time.

However, the rebel club are likely to be without striker Rory Patterson (knee) and defender Rob Nugent (hamstring) for the trip to Padiham, after they both limped off in Tuesday night's defeat at Salford.