Steeton 1 Hall Green United 6

Steeton boss Roy Mason blasted his side for an unacceptable performance after the Chevrons slumped to an embarrassing home defeat.

It was a day to forget as they were humiliated by a rapidly improving Hall Green side.

Mason said: “The players where left in no uncertain terms that this kind of performance is not acceptable for this club.

“Anyone who is just playing the season out as they feel we have nothing to play for is at the wrong club.

“We have no game this Saturday but we will be training hard this week in preparation for our next fixture at home to Campion on Wednesday.

“We made far too many individual errors and the players are better than they showed last week.”

With Graham Holmes and Andy King both injured and Jimmy Christian unavailable, Andy Foster, Joe Park and Dean Mitchell came into the side.

Things got off to a bad start when, after only four minutes, they failed to deal with a ball into the box. Hall Green played pinball with the Steeton defence before Jamie Miller pounced to stab home.

The lead lasted all of 30 seconds as the hosts immediately won a free-kick when Jamie Longley was fouled. Andy Holden whipped in a superb ball and Sam Rooke headed home.

This failed to kick Steeton into life and, with only 15 minutes on the clock, Matty Kershaw felled his opponent in the box when he really didn’t need to make a challenge. Referee Graham Ashington had no hesitation in awarding a spot-kick, from which Miller sent Paul Linyard the wrong way to make it 2-1.

Longley and Holden fired over the bar but none of the free-flowing football of the previous weeks was on show and it was the visitors who looked the more likely to score.

They added to their tally on the stroke of half-time when Linyard spilled an effort and Marcus Williams was on hand to tap the ball home for a 3-1 lead.

The second half was killed as a contest within five minutes. Steeton felt aggrieved after no foul was given on Andy Foster by the touchline.

Instead, Hall Green were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box which Linyard failed to hold and Chris Turner turned in goal number four.

Steeton sub Joe Kershaw was unlucky with an effort that just went wide before the game was held up for ten minutes while referee Ashington received treatment for a muscle injury.

The game was then sealed when a deep cross was headed home by Miller to complete his hat-trick.

A long-range effort struck the underside of Steeton’s bar and appeared to bounce over the line but the referee waved play on. However, Hall Green made it six when Clifton Firth fired in a long-range effort to complete a miserable day for the hosts.

Steeton: Linyard, Rhodes, Park, Foster (J Kershaw), Rooke, Whiteoak, Holden, Longley, Reilly, Mitchell, M Kershaw.