TWO defeats in a week and a demolished forward line still in need of rebuilding means "a lot of downers" for Winsford United boss Dalton Steele.

He concedes that when resources are thin on the ground, it is hard to compete with the likes of Barrow, who are currently marching towards the Conference.

Steele said: "We all have to chase Boston now as you can look no further than Barrow to win the league.

"When you can afford to have 20 paid players on the books it is very difficult for us to compete with that.

"When you look at the crowds they get compared to us, they are in a different league already.

"You can see the difference in that I only had 12 players available on Saturday, but you can't fault the guys for effort."

There were almost as many names on the absence list as the team sheet for Saturday's visit to promotion-chasing Boston United and there are still major doubts for forthcoming fixtures.

Injuries to Paul Wheeler, Nathan Peel and Steve Shaughnessy, coupled with Winnie Steele halfway through a two-match suspension, has left the Blues' attack badly punctured.

However, Steele has wasted no time in filling the holes by bringing in former LIverpool youth team striker Michael Moore on a temporary basis from Conference side Southport - and the boss may be forced to seek further help.

He said: "We need to stave off injuries so Paul Futcher, at Southport, agreed to help me out.

"There may be one of two others brought in for the weekend on a temporary basis as we were not expecting to have so many injuries."

In another ironic twist Moore, after making his debut in the midweek defeat by Marine, was too ill to travel to Boston, leaving Mark Came, playing as a lone striker, to pick up the pieces of a completely shattered front line.

Despite scoring his first of the season, Came could not prevent Boston following Marine in inflicting defeat on Steele's depleted outfit.

With no guarantee of who will emerge from the recovery room in time for Saturday, the Blues face another tricky UniBond Premier encounter when lowly Radcliffe Borough - along with former Blues favourite Jock Russell - travel to Barton Stadium.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.