BILLINGE came away with nothing from Knutsford on Saturday as they fell to a narrow 2-1 defeat.

With little between the teams and possession shared it came down to the home side taking their chances whilst Billinge didn't do so.

The Storks started the game well and Freddy Garbutt headed just wide from a corner in the f'ourth minute.

Six minutes later the same player appeared to all a sundry to have been upended in the box but referee Derek Smith waved play-on.

Billinge kept up the pressure as Ben Hamlett went close on two occasions before Lewis Dixon tested the Knutsford keeper Dom Smith from 20 yards.

On 33 minutes Dixon flicked a free-kick on to Tom Ahearn whose header went the wrong side of the post.

Four minutes later the hosts went ahead.

Nathan Bibby appeared to be going nowhere down the right flank when he turned onto his left foot and fired a "worldie” past Billinge's keeper Will White and into the top corner of the net.

Added time in the first period saw The Storks pile on the pressure as Dixon went close hitting the bar then firing wide before Hamlett had a glorious chance but hit his shot wide.

If the management had expected The Storks to press on it simply didn't happen and despite Garbutt having a header saved early on Knutsford came more into the game and on 62 minutes went two ahead when Andrew Hurst finished off a good move with a neat goal.

The Storks tried to get back into the game but it wasn't until the final minutes when they made the breakthrough.

Smith could only parry Garbutt's fierce shot allowing Richie Allen to follow up and slot from an acute angle.

Billinge threw everything at the home side in added time but they defended well and deservedly picked up the three points.

After the game assistant manager Mark Filson was philosophical saying: "That's football for you.

"Whilst nobody played badly - as a team we just didn't seem "on it" today.

"It happens and you just have to accept these things, and we now just need to work hard in training and go again next week at Malpas."

On Sunday Billinge's Under-17s went back to the top of their league when they beat Hindley Green Rovers 2-1 with Layton Lee and Josh Turner getting on the scoresheet for The Young Storks.