No come down with the last shower as rot halted

FLEETWOOD Hesketh will be looking over their shoulders after a seventh defeat in eight games left them just 18 points clear of the L&DCC First Division relegation zone.

Paul Mullen captained the side for the first time after Scott Rimmer stepped down due to work commitments but couldn’t stop a heavy seven wicket defeat against in-form promotion chasers Ainsdale.

Hesketh once more struggled to perform with the bat and were bowled out for 129 inside 30 overs. Former captain Rimmer top scored with 27 - with Thomas Wareing also contributing 25 - but Ainsdale chased down their total for the loss of just three wickets.

Martyn Farrell’s 6-41 completed most of the damage for Ainsdale, who were racking up their fourth successive victory. They are now just one position below the promotion places following relegation from the Premier League last season.

Fleetwood were relegated from the top division themselves back in 2014 and have since spent four seasons in the First Division.

They finished two places above the relegation zone last season but were comfortably safe going into the final fixtures of the season.

This time, however, the club must deal with both bedding in a new skipper while also trying to play their way out of an alarming dip in form.

With second-bottom Liverpool experiencing a renaissance in form during recent weeks after losing just one of their last six games, Mullen will know he needs to find several results during the final five games of the campaign.

Things don’t get any easier this weekend, though, with Orrell Red Triangle visiting Sea Cop.

Orrell have lost just two games all season and are widely expected to secure promotion alongside Southport & Birkdale.