STEETON remain bottom of the North West Counties League Division One North, after their crucial away game at Bacup Borough on Saturday was abandoned at half-time due to a waterlogged pitch.

Only one team will be relegated at the end of the season, so with hosts Bacup just one point and one place above the Chevrons, it was arguably the biggest game of the season yet for both sides.

Steeton started brightly, with Kayle Price having an early penalty shout turned down before he curled a shot just wide.

It was a game full of hefty tackles and high drama, with both teams knowing the importance of a win.

Steeton were left incandescent on 20 minutes when a Bacup forward seemed to try and score with his hand, but nothing came of the incident and it remained goalless.

Conditions were not great from the start, but things took a turn for the worse just before the half-hour mark when a huge rainstorm engulfed the ground.

With fans diving for cover, both teams battled on, with Steeton taking the lead on 37 minutes.

Luke Baldwin whipped in a teasing cross, which seemed to be carried straight in by the wind, although Price may claim that he got a slight touch to help it home.

Inspired by that vital goal, Steeton almost made it two immediately, but Alex Preston's strike rattled the crossbar.

The game was end to end now, with Bacup firing in a shot that missed by inches, before the home keeper pulled off a stunning double save to prevent an own goal, then Raymond Sibanda.

Five minutes later, it was half-time, and sadly the players never returned, with the referee deeming the surface unplayable after the heavy downpour.

It was a bitter pill to swallow for Steeton, who had bounced back well from a gutting 4-1 defeat to Chadderton in midweek, which saw them concede three times in the last seven minutes.

They go again on Saturday, with a game at home to promotion-chasing Daisy Hill.