Lower Breck manager Gary Moore was left to rue a disappointing first-half as Burscough continued their impressive run of form.
Two goals on the stroke of half-time from Luke Denson was enough to secure Linnets’ six straight win at Breck’s expense.
They pulled a goal back in a one-sided second half but resilient defending from Paul Bowes’ side ensured they left Anfield with three points.
The full-back scored two in five minutes, opening the scoring after his left-footed strike deflected looping over goalkeeper Josh Molloy.
Moments before the break, he doubled their lead after his low cross forced a calamitous error from the hosts number one.
Substitute Matthew Corness injected life into the game halving Linnets’ lead but they failed to find the equaliser and as a result they squandered an opportunity to go second.
“Game of two halves, we certainly weren’t happy first half. We thought we seen the back of performances like that because we’ve had a couple of them but over the last few weeks I can’t fault them, I really can’t,” Moore admitted.
“There wasn’t any harsh words but there was some honest ones Sully had a good chat with them, it’s honesty, from the one to 11 they didn’t perform for 45 minutes.
“Listen, Burscough were the better side in the first half, did they hurt us in terms of shots on target? No they didn’t and you’ve got to be honest our ‘keeper was really tested if he was. You’ve got to close the shot down for the first goal we haven’t done the job.
“You can’t let him have a free hit it’s took a wicked deflection to go looping over Josh and then the second one Josh has threw it in, he knows himself it’s a shocker there’s not other way about it. Same again, Josh is our number one he’s up there with best keepers in this city and the North West. He’s had a couple this season, he knows that, it’s one of those.
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“Tough gig first half. But second half, they had a free-kick to start with on the edge of the box and a one-on-one with 10 minutes to go but nothing else. We battered them second half, on the night I thought we deserved a point but if you get the second goal there’s only one winner.
“We’ve hit the post, we’ve had Nathan [Corness] he’s got to score, we done very very well but you’ve got to give them credit, take nothing away from them but two of them dangermen were more defensive, they were more defensive in the second half. Their number 10 [Josh Quarless] had a great game and he had a great game in defence for them but a good performance from them and hats off to them.
“I think we shouldn’t of given the goalkeeper the chance to be able to make a save or get near to them. A couple of them have gone begging but that’s football. Matty knows he should’ve scored, Nathan knows, Matty hit the post, chances like that they’re the ones that win you games especially at 2-1.
“As I say they done well I just didn’t think we’ve hurt them where we needed to. We were off it one to 11 in the first half then we come out second half, we had a couple of chances and a few came out who wasn’t still at the races when Mick [Douglas] went off injured it’s changed the game in our favour, we’ve went two up top I thought we looked a lot, lot better.
“But that’s what happens when you’re chasing a game as well, 2-0, 2-1 soon as you get the goal momentum swings and they’re only going to score on the counter-attack.
“They’re on a good run themselves, we said the two in-form teams were playing against each other and they came out with the win. They were a team that wanted it more in the second half but I thought we were the better team in terms of chances and attempts but ultimately we didn’t take them.”
