IT was a case of déjà vu for Colne who let the lead slip and conceded defeat for the second week running at the XLCR Stadium on Saturday.
The Reds took the lead against Alsager after 10 minutes when Paul Fildes pulled the ball back for Dominic Craig to fire home.
And Fildes should have doubled Colne’s lead after 19 minutes when he blasted a shot over the bar from a golden opportunity after Craig’s cross had been pushed out by the keeper.
Four minutes later, Mark Coyne saw his shot come back off the far post as the Reds dominated play before Paddy O’Brien forced visiting keeper Tom Harrison to push his 25-yard shot over the bar. And Alex Hedley was relieved to head Ashley Carter’s cross over his own goal under pressure from the Colne attack.
Alsager drew level after 33 minutes when Leigh Skellern shrugged off a challenge by the Colne defence before lobbing the ball over Colne keeper Chris Thompson.
The Reds regained the lead five minutes later when Anthony McLoughlin won the ball in midfield and Fildes fired home at the far post from Carter’s cross.
Thompson then made a good save to keep out Lee Wright’s shot just before half-time as Alsager threatened on the break.
Colne looked for a third goal in the second half and Craig’s looping header from O’Brien’s free kick came back off the crossbar. Craig shot just inches over the crossbar after a good run across the edge of the area and nd two minutes later, Coyne shot over the bar from James Crorken’s low cross.
But at the other end, Thompson had to make a good save to block James Marrow’s close range shot but Alsager again drew level after 73 minutes when Skellern slipped through the home defence and again lobbed over Thompson for the second equaliser.
Minutes later, Fildes volleyed just wide when a cross was headed on to him at the far post.
Fildes high cross was fisted away from Coyne’s head as Colne continued to press but three minutes from full time, Alsager grabbed the winner when Tom Wakefield made a strong run and found the net with a shot in off the far post to leave the home crowd stunned.
FINAL SCORE: Colne 2, Alsager Town 3