BACUP were brought crashing back down to earth after slipping to a 4-0 home defeat to high-flying NWCL Premier Division side Norton.
Brent Peters’ (right) side went in to the clash high in confidence on the back of a five-match unbeaten run.
But Norton, who have three games in hand on leaders Maine Road, underlined their own championship credentials, with a four-star show.
Bacup’s undoing came in the space of a minute early in the first half when Jonathan Beaumont put Norton 1-0 up in the 14th minute before Leigh Skellern’s tame shot crept beyond John Ogden in the Bacup goal.
Sam Bradbury made it 3-0 on 52 before Skellern added his second on 70.
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