BURSCOUGH’S Victoria Park nightmare continues.

The Linnets have still not won at home this season and, perhaps more worryingly, have not managed a Blue Square North home goal since August.

Burscough’s saving grace is an away record of three wins that is only bettered by seven teams in the division, but it still leaves them fighting for survival.

A battling defeat against promotion-chasing Stalybridge emphasised the problem. They desperately need someone who can score goals regularly.

It didn’t help that Burscough went behind to an early goal, even if it was one of the best that will be seen this season. In the seventh minute, Stalybridge number seven Richard Battersby brought the ball inside from the right, switched the ball from right to left foot before hitting a 25-yard shot with such ferocity that it left Burscough goalkeeper Steve Dickinson a mere spectator.

Eight minutes after the break a ball in from the right created problems and after a number of efforts to clear it failed, the ball eventually ran to Chris Williams who scored.