THE honeymoon period is over for Boro’s new manager Bill Prendergast after his side lost at Ossett Albion.

The Stainton Park men, who have still to win away from home this season, produced one of their worst performances for a while.

The Ossett goalkeeper did not have to clean his gloves with Boro failing to produce a single worthwhile effort on target all game.

It was a scrappy encounter on a poor pitch but this cannot be an excuse for the bad performance.

It was particularly disappointing coming on the back of last week’s great result against Kendal Town and Boro have to improve on this performance to avoid a relegation battle.

Bevan Burey had a strong run on goal in the 10th minute but, as was typical of Boro's day, the chance fizzled out as ball ran loose to the goalkeeper.

Jack Hindle pulled up sharply three minutes later and had to be replaced by Ashford Blake.

Ossett took the lead with a penalty on the stroke of half time after Sam Howell tackled Nicholas Matthews from behind on the edge of the area.

Connor Matthews smashed the ball into the bottom left hand corner giving Chris Cheetham no chance.

Either side of the hour mark Boro made two substitutions – Howell replaced by new signing Yousif Yousif, and Sam Fitzgerald replaced by Elliott Rokka.

With 10 minutes left Rokka’s cross from the left was met by Yousif but his first-time volley went wide.

Then Blake headed wide from a Chris Mason cross, and in the 90th minute a Danny Lambert cross found Rokka in the box but his shot went high and wide.

The players now have to pick themselves up to prepare for tomorrow night’s semi-final against Curzon Ashton in the Manchester Premier cup.

Attendance 98.

Boro; Cheetham, Wedge, Lambert, Lafferty (capt), Smith, Sherlock, Howell (Yousif 57), Fitzgerald (Rokka 65), Burey, Mason, Hindle (Blake 13), subs, Hibbert, Samberg, not used.