BACUP manager Brent Peters says their North West Counties Division Two Trophy semi-final with Stone should never have gone ahead.

Peters said he had no need to look for excuses after his side missed out on a place in the final, because they were there for all to see.

"It was a massive game for both teams, but it should never have gone ahead," he said.

"The pitch was a complete mudbath after all the rain. The only footwear suitable for that pitch was Wellington boots!

"I made the mistake of walking onto the pitch before the game in ordinary shoes and they were virtually coming off my feet because they were just getting stuck in the mud.

"We just couldn't believe the game was going ahead. Even the day before we thought it would be postponed because of all the rain we'd had. It didn't stop Friday night or Saturday. The rest of the North West Counties Second Division was wiped out, as was the other semi-final."

But it wasn't just the state of the pitch which infuriated Peters. For he said the nets were not up to scratch at the start of the game either and there was a three-minute delay until a hole in the net had been repaired.

"It's hard to tell whether their first goal was legitimate or not because it wasn't until they had scored that they discovered the hole," he said.

"Our lads had lined up for a goal kick but the referee had given the goal."

That was Brownsword's strike in the ninth minute and the score remained at 1-0 until half-time, although David Gray had a chance to equalise a few minutes later.

But Peters explained: "He was wiped out by the defender, who I think was the last man but he wasn't even booked.

"It was an ideal position for Gray to score because he was clean through and doesn't often miss from those positions.

"We couldn't make anything from the free kick but if we could have scored then it might have been a different game."

Instead, Donnelly doubled Stone's lead, and Peters decided to "go for it" and replaced a defender with a striker.

"We went two versus two at the back," he said.

"I said at the time that I would rather go for it and lose 6-0, so it wasn't the result which disappointed me but the fact the game went ahead in the first place."

The Bacup boss felt his side were at fault for only one goal, and that was the fourth, after Brownsword had added his second of the afternoon.

McGuire grabbed goal four after a defensive error, while Taylor and Fletcher wrapped things up for the home side.

But Peters added: "Stone altered their game to suit the conditions, and good luck to them.

"But I've said all along that the league is our priority.

"If we haven't finished first or second at the end of the season, then I'll be disappointed."

STONE DOMINOES...6 BACUP BOROUGH ...0