Daisy Hill’s hopes of moving back into the play-off places in the North West Counties League First Division North were dashed by league leaders Pilkington at New Sirs on Monday night.

Goals in each half from skipper Adam Gilchrist and Marcus Giglio earned the visitors a 2-0 win, but Daisy more than played their part in a fast-paced game that provided excellent entertainment for the watching spectators.

Despite the disappointing outcome, Daisy joint-manager Leighton Mills said afterwards there were positives to take from the game.

“Credit where credit is due, Pilkington were ruthless and clinical,” said Mills.

“They have only conceded 16 goals in the league all season and are a well-organised team.

“They had two good chances and took both of them, and have gone away with three points.

“It was a good game of football, though, it was two good footballing sides in a game that was an excellent advert for the league,

“Both teams had tough games on Saturday but came out on the front foot. I thought they were better in the first 30 minutes, and it was fairly even for the next 15.

“Then in the second half I thought we played well, and were the better team.

“We had shots on goal that were blocked, and there were just fine margins that went against us which made the difference.

“Pilkington didn’t control the game like you would think they might do, but they took their chances and we didn’t. It was a tough night, and they just had the edge.

“I didn’t think they were two goals ahead of us, although they deserved to win it. I felt we didn’t play badly at all, and I think we did enough to get a goal at least, but that’s football.”

Both sides began well, although it was Pilkington who created the first chance on five minutes, when Daisy keeper Kier Barry pulled off a great one-handed save from a Gilchrist shot.

Daisy responded with a neat move where Lee Grimshaw and Jack Coop combined to set up a chance for Jake Parker, but his shot was saved by the keeper.

Pilkington striker Callum Laird thought he had given his side the lead in the 12th minute when he toe-poked the ball under Barry into the net, but the referee pulled play back for a foul earlier in the move.

However, the visitors took the lead at the midway point of the half, and the architect of the goal was former Daisy man Bebeto Gomes. His jinking run down the left took him past two challenges, before he squared for Gilchrist to side-foot home the opener.

A Connor Hughes free-kick, that was fisted away by the keeper, and a Josh Tinker shot that he scuffed wide after being played through were Daisy’s best responses in the closing stages of the first half, but Pilkington struck a devastating blow with a second goal just 45 seconds after the break.

A memorable goal it was too, with Giglio unleashing a screamer of a shot from 30 yards that arrowed into the top corner.

It was the midfielder’s first goal of the season, and he certainly got off the mark in spectacular fashion, as well as giving his side the comfort of a two-goal lead.

However, it was Daisy who created the better chances as the half wore on, with Parker firing wide from 10 yards before claims for a penalty were waved away by the referee, after Josh Tinker went down under a challenge on the edge of the area.

Daisy brought on substitutes to freshen up the attack, and the chances continued to be created, with a well-struck Coop shot being pushed away by the keeper, and then the closest call of all came 13 minutes from time when Hensley Mills was agonisingly close to getting on the end of Parker’s free-kick at the back post.

But Pilkington saw the game out safely to maintain their position at the top of the table, and Daisy remain two points outside the play-off places.

Daisy’s next game in the North West Counties League First Division North is on Saturday, when fellow promotion-contenders, FC St Helens Town, visit New Sirs (3pm).