RHYL director of football Eddie Maurice-Jones said his side “only had themselves to blame” following their 3-2 defeat at Holyhead Hotspur.

The Lilywhites failed to recover from a lacklustre first half display in difficult conditions against the Huws Gray Alliance basement dwellers, and the result leaves the Lilies’ in fifth spot ahead of their home game against Buckley Town on Saturday (1.30pm).

Maurice-Jones, said: “It is a difficult one to take but we only have ourselves to blame.

“We didn’t adapt to the conditions well enough and there was a lack of urgency in the first half which seems to have become a bit of a trend. We have to go a goal down or get a roasting at half time before we realise we have got a game on our hands.

“We were the better team in the second half and if we had performed like that throughout the game then we would have won. Both sets of teams had to play on the pitch and we have experienced players who should have equipped themselves better to the surface.

“We weren’t playing with any fight and if you give a team like Holyhead something to hold on to then they are going to be very hard to beat.

“The lads didn’t get in their faces but in the second half we threw bodies forward and got into good areas. They came off hurting but like I said they only have themselves to blame after the first half.”

The visitors almost went ahead on 18 minutes when Mike Pritchard forced Carl Jones into a smart stop after good work from James Murphy, and Spurs went ahead soon after when a long clearance fell into the path of talisman Mel McGinness, who continued his fine recent form with a well-taken effort to put his side in front.

Pritchard and Murphy both went within inches of levelling matters throughout the first period, with Tomos Clarke firing wide at the other end after an impressive run.

After the break saw the home side double their tally on 47 minutes when Chris Jones turned in a cross from close range, but this joy proved to be short lived as the Lilies reduced the deficit through defender Ben Nash with 53 gone.

The away side piled on the pressure thereafter with Sam Molyneux, Kai Wallis and Barry Torrence both spurning good chances, and they were made to pay on 82 minutes when John Littlemore reacted first to steer in a chance and restore their two-goal cushion.

A nervy ending was assured when Wallis turned in a Murphy cross on 88 minutes, but the talented youngster was shown a red card in the dying stages as the Lilywhites failed to resuce a share of the spoils.