The Bloods crashed out of the FA Cup at the Preliminary Round stage for the second year running on a hot afternoon in West Yorkshire.

Poor defending in the first half cost the Bloods this game but the home side’s failure to put away numerous chances nearly let Dave Pace’s team claim a point at the Halton Stadium.

Droylsden, in a poor first half,  found themselves two down inside fourteen minutes, both goals coming from man of the match Hodkinson.

The first from a break after Domaine Rouse lost the ball on the halfway line, the second from the penalty spot after being pulled down in the box getting the better of Diego Lattie.

The Bloods could have taken the lead after just six minutes when Danny Wilkins was put through on goal but took one touch too many round keeper Wheeler and pushed the ball wide.

It was one way traffic for the rest of the half with Hodkinson creating problems for the Droylsden defence, centring for Conor Ready whose effort was blocked and skilfully turning the Bloods defence only to shoot over with the goal at his mercy.

In between former Blood Shaun Holden shot inches wide from the edge of the area and Thompson saved low to his left from full back Steele.

After the restart, Steele had a glorious chance for a third getting behind the Droylsden defence only to lob Thompson and the Bloods crossbar.

Soon after came changes, Jamie Frost and Colin Murray on for Andy Langford and Jack Dorney and the men in blue sprang into life.

Wheeler saving from point blank range to deny Aaron Burns before a third change saw Rhys Clooney on for Rigby and it was the substitute who    Created the goal, his shot deflected for the corner which he took and found the unmarked head of Phil Clarke who scored in the top corner.

The Bloods now seemed the more likely to score again and really should have equalised when Wheeler under pressure dropped the ball with the hooked attempt coming back off the underside of the bar with just five minutes left on the clock.

But with Droylsden pushing for a second, Widnes substitute Klein Davies was allowed far too much time in the box to drill the ball into the bottom corner to make it 3-1.

The points were shared in this opening day clash at the Butchers Arms in a game of  two halves,

The visitors took  a 3-1 lead into half time,Sefton Gonzales on his return to the Butchers Arms heading home from close range on twelve minutes after Droylsden had lost the ball on the half way line.

Colne could have got a second minutes later, Thompson saving well at the feet of Hazeldine before Droylsden equalised.

Rhys Clooney’s shot was well saved by Burton but Colne failed to clear and Liam Caddick picked up the ball just outside the area and fired home

Chippendale scored two in three minutes for Colne ,Gonzales laying off the ball for him to score the first from inside the area, the second from a penalty after Thompson had brought down Hazeldine as he burst through the centre of Droylsden’s defence.

The Blood were denied a second shortly after with Burton pulling off a brilliant point blank save to deny Aaron Burns.

A revitalised Droylsden started strongly in the second half and pulled one back on 51 minutes ,Clooney heading home for his first for the club from a superb Wilkins cross

Nine minutes later Droylsden were level,Caddick with his second threading the ball through the defence into the back of the net.

Dave Pace will come away from this final pre season friendly the happier manager after Droylsden’s passing game stifled a Hyde side.

Aaron Burns gave the Bloods the lead on thirty eight minutes, deflecting Liam Caddick’s shot into the back of the net before Tongue’s unmarked header from a free kick on the stroke of half time.

With the scores level after ninety minutes at a windy Ewan Field’s a penalty shot out decided the Ray Stanley memorial cup with the Bloods winning 5-4

In their last but one pre season friendly the Bloods claim the Tony Downes memorial trophy in a hard fought win against their Welsh Premier League opponents.

Two early goals from Aaron Burns, including one of the spot put Droylsden in the driving seat before a well taken goal from Jordan Evans put the visitors back in contention four minutes before half time.

There were scares for Droylsden in the second with the woodwork being hit twice and an clearance off the line before a stunner from Domaine Rouse clinched the game

A third workout in seven days ended in defeat for the Bloods but manager Dave Pace will have learnt much from this outing.

Two down after seventeen minutes thanks to an unmarked Hunt heading in from an early corner and a brilliant strike from Connor Hughes, Bloods fought back to level just before half time.

Before that Chris Thompson had saved a penalty for the second weekend running correctly guessing Crowther’s weak spot kick.

Rhys Clooney pulled one back dispossessing a Robins defender and the home team’s defence switched off failing to clear to allow Liam Caddick to equalise.

On the stroke of half time, a brilliant individual goal from Rowley saw the striker finish in style chipping Thompson.

Ashton made it four earlier in the second half,Callum Dolan’s shot deflected in off Rigby after Thompson’s save.

It was all change for both clubs with several substitutes for both sides as the game meandered to its conclusion.

A first run out for pre season saw a mixture of new and familiar faces easily defeat the club two leagues below them.

St Helens could have taken the lead on the quarter hour mark when Steve Rigby gave away a penalty but keeper Chris Thompson saved Neil Weaver’s spot kick.

The Bloods created all the chances and their exciting attacking play paid dividends just before half time when a header from a Trialist came back off the bar and was put into his own net by a St Helens defender.The Bloods doubled their lead just before the interval when a Trialist finished well latching onto the long ball to hit the top corner from outside the area.

The second half saw a few changes in personnel, Liam Caddick scoring a third three minutes in.

Skipper Michael Brewster made it four ten minutes later from the penalty after the midfielder  surged into the area only to be brought down.

Dom Smith tapped in to make it five on sixty eight minutes while Liam Caddick completed a hat trick with goals in the 84th minute and on the stroke of full time.

The Bloods brought their losing run to an end with a welcome three points at Kendal on Bank Holiday Monday.

Two second half goals from James Jennings saw the visitors take all three points back to the Midlands and condemn the Bloods to a fifth consecutive defeat.

In a game of two halves which saw Droylsden fail to capitalise on a number of chances in the first forty five Jennings took full advantage of the room given to him as the Droylsden defence crumbled and only Chris Thompson in the end prevented Market Drayton scoring more.

It could have been so different early on. After just two minutes a quick free kick by Brewster caught out the visitors defence but Liam Caddick failed to take advantage of The opportunity.

It was almost one way traffic as a succession of chances and half chances went astray, Stavros Tserpes having the best chance which saw Ballard tip his effort round the post for a corner.

Market Drayton served up a warning of what was to come in the closing minutes of the half as Jennings broke down the centre, his effort going narrowly wide.

The second half saw the visitors switch their keeper into an outfield player while manager Martyn Davies who had come on as an early sub for the injured Hartlebury went between the posts.

The Bloods shuffled their pack, Ollie Ford coming on for Harry Pratt and Faustin Makela replacing Danny Hewitt but less than a minute after second change, lost Antoine Clarke to injury with Dom smith coming on,

The forced reshuffle at the back changed the game and the visitors began to take full advantage. McClean breaking down the left into the area, his shot hitting the side netting.

With twelve minutes left Town took the lead, A Thompson save and a block on the line looked to have prevented the first goal but the rebound fell to Jennings who made no mistake.

Thompson prevented a second a minute later saving from close range from McClean but could do nothing to prevent the second goal as his defence went Awol Jennings shooting into an empty net and to cap a poor afternoon, Tserpes saw a straight red for a clumsy challenge deep into added time

A last minute goal from substitute Alex Curran decided this game after it had looked destined to be a goalless draw

In a game of few chances, Curran’s last minute strike kept Colne’s promotion hopes alive while consigning the Bloods to a fourth successive defeat.

Droylsden had the better of the chances that were created during the game, Bianga shooting over with less than a minute of the game gone while a Caddick shot flew wide of Burton’s post just before half time.

For the home side both Morgan and Lynch had chances before half time, the former shooting over from close range.

The second half produced the best chance of the game, Burton producing an excellent save low down to deny Gonzales while Rigby’s long range shot just cleared the bar before Curran final minute winner