MANCHESTER ACCOUNTANTS LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
AFC FLIXTON 2 MACE 3

Stuart Delmonte claimed his AFC Flixton players had received a wake-up call after watching his table-toppers crash.

AFC Flixton suffered their first defeat in 10 months after Mace earned a 3-2 comeback win.

Delmonte’s men were cruising as they led via Adam Stephens’ double. But the hosts suffered a shock to the systems after seeing the visitors launch a second-half fightback.

And joint-manager Delmonte pulled no punches in his assessment of his side’s capitulation.

He said: "The players need to take a hard look at themselves. Besides one two, they simply didn’t perform.

"You can’t expect to just turn up and think you will win. As players you have to earn that. There’s no excuse for failing to display desire, tenacity and commitment. That just wasn’t any from too many so that was unacceptable."

Flixton have an immediate chance to make amends when they face rivals Manchester Maccabi 1st in the Peter Morrison Trophy on Sunday.

The winners will book a quarter-final spot against FC Team B, and Delmonte said: “Although it’s a bitter pill to swallow, I’m glad this has happened now. My players needed to be brought down to earth.

"They know if they play like that in the cup on Sunday then we will get beaten heavily."