Bourne Town are beaten by Lichfield City in the Northern Premier League

Bourne Town saw their five-match unbeaten run in the Northern Premier League come to an end in a game littered with chances at Lichfield City on Saturday.

However, it was their Staffordshire hosts who proved more clinical as they ran out 3-2 winners in the Midlands Division match.

It was another narrow defeat for the Wakes who remain in the relegation zone in their first-ever season as a step four club.

Joint manager Michael Goode said: "Lichfield are in the top six on merit but I felt the game was very even and we had our fair share of it.

"Even though we scored two goals, we didn't take enough of our chances and they did.

"We had enough chances in the game to have got something from it because it was the most we had created in a game for quite a while.

"Their goals were all good finishes but we've given them the opportunity to have those finishes."

The Wakes had arrived later-than-planned due to heavy traffic en-route but they made a positive start in the opening exchanges.

Robbie Ellis fired an effort over the crossbar while the Wakes worked a couple of good openings but were unable to find the crucial final pass.

The hosts then took a 12th minute lead through a fine shot from Harry Wakefield with Kieran Francis then doubling the advantage soon after as he lifted another impressive finish over the advancing Will Lakin in the Bourne goal.

The Wakes responded well to the double setback and played some excellent football in the lead up to half-time.

They forced a succession of corners with Brad Marshall hitting the post with a header while two further good opportunities for Zac Allen and Jordan O'Brien went begging.

Bourne did then halve the deficit four minutes into the second half when Tom Siddons slotted home after a Sam Bayly shot had been saved.

The Wakes were then punished for their own naivety in their eagerness for an equaliser and were caught on the counter-attack with Wakefield netting his second goal and Lichfield's third two minutes after Bourne had scored.

The visitors continued to look for a way back into the contest and created three further good chances before Richard Jones netted in stoppage time.

Goode added: "We have again competed well against a team who are third in the league and, for long periods of the game, we were the better side.

"We have to do better in possession and take our chances though and be less naive.

"We should have been saying that we're back in this game now so let's batten down the hatches for 10 minutes and get some rhythm into our play and see where we are but we've gone looking too quickly for that equaliser and, as a result, given the third goal away."

Bourne return to the JJ Mac Stadium on Saturday with a home match against Rugby Town.