Eccleshill 1 Flixton 2

Plumpton Park was such a buoyant place that Saturday's exit from the FA Cup came as somewhat of a surprise, although Steve Watson's troops can have no complaints.

They froze on the big occasion after feeling they were in the kind of form that would have given them a passage through to the second qualifying round at the expense of the visiting Mancunians.

Games in the world's oldest and most renowned knock-out competition either bring the best out of you or pass you by in the blink of an eye.

United's players will have woken up to experience the second of those feelings yesterday.

A brace from Flixton forward Josh Mitton, who they recruited from North West Counties Division One rivals FC United, did the damage.

He rose to head home a cross in the 39th minute for the only goal of the first half.

After the break, Eccleshill drew level when Gary Birchill lashed a great shot into the top corner.

But any thoughts of a win, or even a replay, were quashed when Chris Rossindale underhit a backpass and Mitton pounced on it.

Watson lamented: "We didn't get going. Flixton had two tricky lads in midfield when I went to watch them and they didn't put them in the team on Saturday - but I still told our lads to keep an eye on the number nine."

United's players must have taken him literally because they physically got nowhere near him for either goal.

"We had a chat with the players at half-time, Ray (assistant Price) and myself," said Watson.

"It was flat, we weren't in the game, so we said step it up and get it right' because at 1-0 down it wasn't too late.

"We passed the ball well in the second half but we didn't use the lift our goal should have given us."