RADCLIFFE Borough manager Danny Johnson could not fault his side’s effort and application after they were undone by a late goal at home to promotion chasers Glossop North End on Saturday.

Kieran Lugsden scored the only goal of an end-to-end game 10 minutes from time, clinching all three points for the visitors moments after Tom Hulme had a header cleared off the line for Boro.

Defeat was tough to take for Johnson, but he was proud of the performance put in by his side.

“My players came out fighting today and put in 100 per cent,” he said.

“As long as they continue to do that they will have no complaints from me.

“It’s when those effort levels drop that I will be on their backs, but we have a good group here and we are lucky to have them.”

Johnson said both keepers were kept busy in a pulsating encounter that could have gone either way with 10 minutes remaining.

“Just before they scored Tom’s had an effort clawed off the line,” he said.

“It was more of a bad miss than a good save.

“They broke quickly and when we could only half clear a cross their lad has tucked the ball away.

“If we had scored then I think we would have probably gone on to claim all three points.

“But other than a bit of bad defending for their goal I have no real complaints.

“Chris Cheetham (the Boro keeper) has made a couple of good saves, as has their keeper. It was an end-to-end game and a great one to watch for the fans, just a shame about the result.”

Victory moved Glossop up to third place in Evo-Stik First Division North, while Boro remain fourth bottom.

Their scheduled Manchester Premier Cup quarter-final tie at home to Ashton United on Tuesday night was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.