RAMSBOTTOM United suffered a major setback in their quest for the North West Counties League Premier Division title after losing at home to their fourth-placed North West Counties Premier Division rivals on Tuesday night.

The result saw Rammy drop to second as Bootle leapfrogged them with a 3-0 win at home to Squires Gate, setting up an intriguing clash between the two sides in Merseyside on Saturday.

Joint-managers Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley will be urging their defenders to mark tighter in the box after slack defending let Runcorn in to score two identical goals at the Harry Williams Stadium.

The match had been on a knife-edge, with few chances until Warren Bellew opened the scoring for the visitors on 62 minutes. The Runcorn winger found space in the box and was allowed time to turn and fire in a low drive past the right hand of the diving Grant Shenton.

Mark Keddie added a second five minutes later, again capitalising on sloppy marking in the box to turn and shoot past Shenton.

Rammy attempted to regain a foothold in the game, but the Runcorn defence rarely looked troubled until five minutes from time, when the ball broke to Lee Gaskell, who swept in what proved to be a consolation goal from 10 yards out.

The result was the worst possible start to what could be a pivotal week in Rammy’s promotion push.

The management team were already reeling from the news that the club’s top goal scorer this season, Jon Robinson, had decided to hang up his boots.

Robinson, aged 30, had scored 16 goals in 20 starts this season before losing his place in the first team following a toe injury.

He joined the club from New Mills in 2009, scoring 46 goals in 72 appearances.