SEDGLEY Tigers coach Geoff Roberts concedes his side have handed the initiative back to title rivals Macclesfield after they blew an early lead at bogey side Preston Grasshoppers.

Tries from Andy Riley and Dan Waddy in the opening 10 minutes, either side of a Preston penalty, put the Tigers in the driving seat.

They veered off course, however, unable to cope with a combination of the Grasshoppers’ kicking game, a quagmire of a pitch and driving rain, to slump to a disappointing 18-15 defeat.

The Tigers, who remain second in National Division Two North despite the unexpected loss, had cut the gap to table-toppers Macclesfield with victory at their place earlier this month.

But they now go into the festive break eight points behind, with a game in hand.

“We grabbed control of the title race with that win at Macclesfield, knowing that if we won all our games we would win the league and promotion, but this defeat has now put it back in their hands,” said Roberts.

“It is now a case that we have to rely on a slip-up from Macclesfield in the new year, but there is still a long way to go.

“If we can just hang on and not drop too many more points during this bad weather, when the pitch so often becomes a leveller, then I would back us to finish strongly when the pitches improve.”

Roberts warned against complacency before Saturday’s trip to Preston, where Sedgley had failed to win on their last three visits since dropping down to the same level.

But after starting strongly it looked like they would continue a run that had seen the Park Lane men win four of their last five games.

Their only other loss in that sequence came against Stourbridge, who Roberts said played a similar kicking game on another difficult surface.

“It was a very similar game to the Stourbridge defeat,” added the Sedgley coach.

“We went into the break with a one-point lead after they pulled a try back just before half time.

“And while we managed to convert a penalty at the start of the second half, we just could not get to grips with the worsening conditions.

“Preston started to kick the ball at every available opportunity and we were probably guilty of trying to play too much rugby.

“It just wasn’t on in those conditions.

“Our runs kept breaking down and it became a battle in the mud.

“They managed to pinch a try and while we always felt capable of getting back into the game going into the dying minutes, it just wasn’t to be.”

Sedgley will be left to brood over the festive break before resuming the campaign at home to mid-table South Leicester on January 2.

After missing out on promotion over the past two years, finishing fourth in 2014 and third last season, they are still well-placed to at least claim second, which would secure a play-off with the second-placed side from National Two South.

“We are obviously aiming for the title and automatic promotion, but the key is to make sure we protect our position,” added Roberts, whose side has a five-point cushion over third-placed Stourbridge having played a game less.

“The players will have a break now and we will hopefully come back at full strength and ready for the run-in.”