BISHOP AUCKLAND 4, RADCLIFFE BORO 0: Boro were resoundingly beaten by Unibond League Premier Division bottom club Bishop on a afternoon they will want to forget.

With the squad stripped to the bare bones by illness, injury and suspensions, they never looked like recovering from the set-back of an early goal.

There were only three minutes on the clock when they failed to clear their lines and Bishop skipper Steven Salvin fired past Danny Hurst from the edge of the area.

Boro had claims for a penalty when Steve Foster was hauled down, but it was the home team which showed the greater appetite for the game.

Simon Kelly just managed to clear from the threatening Mark Sheeran, but Bishop did extend their lead after 24 minutes when Anthony Hall rose unchallenged to head home from a corner.

Boro's response never seriously troubled goalkeeper Dale Roberts.

James Hickman had a long range header held, and when Foster speared in a dangerous low cross Ciaran Kilheeney's outstretched leg could only turn the ball over the bar.

Roberts was again in action to block at the feet of Leon Grandison and then clutch Foster's angled lob.

But at the other end Hurst could not prevent Bishop extending their lead five minutes after half-time, when Salvin's 20-yarder bounced over Hurst's diving arms.

He then had to be alert to save from Anthony Woodhouse at the second attempt.

Hurst was in the thick of the action again saving at full stretch from Ramon Robson, while Boro responded with Kilheeney hooking the ball back from the byeline only for Roberts to smother Grandison's close range effort.

Woodhouse again brought a diving stop out of Hurst and David Morgan's angled drive drifted wide.

The nearest Boro came to a goal came on the hour, when Kilheeney turned well and rattled the bar from 10 yards, but two minutes later Bishop grabbed their fourth.

Woodhouse controlled a through-ball and calmly lobbed it over the advancing Hurst.

He then produced a fine full length save to deny Sheeran, and with time running out Boro passed up a final opportunity to get on the scoresheet when Kilheeney released substitute Mike Wilkinson for Roberts to get down well to save.

Any faint hope Boro had of making the play-offs must now have vanished.

The points gained mid-season will see them safe, but on this occasion it was Boro who looked like a bottom-of-the-table outfit and not Bishop Auckland.

BORO: Hurst, Grandison, Hill, Kelly, Spencer, Hickman, Wilson, Battersby, Kilheeney, Foster, Forrest. Subs: Wilkinson (for Hickman, 68), Heald.

HARRY INNES