Ollerton Town's season looks set to disappointingly fizzle out as their penultimate game of the season ended in a 3-0 defeat away to local rivals Rainworth Miners Welfare, making it five games without victory for The Town.

Ollerton went into the game knowing that two victories from their last two games would likely bring them their first ever top half finish in the Northern Counties East League but the inconsistency which has blighted their season now means they will miss out.

The two sides came into the game in contrasting form, with Rainworth unbeaten in their last four and enjoying a late season resurgence after battling against relegation all season. In truth, the Wren's came out of the blocks the quicker and were the better team throughout the ninety minutes, limiting Ollerton to a few chances of note.

The first chance of the game arrived in the 12th minute when Rainworth captain Keiran Coupe sent a free kick over the bar from 25 yards out.

Ten minutes later and the hosts were ahead. Coupe's corner found Josh Smith who headed into the corner past Ollerton 'keeper Levi Owen.

Ollerton's first real sight of goal came in the 27th minute when Jacques Etia used his pace to get to the byline but his ball from the right was sent just wide of this own goal by a Rainworth defender.

The lively Morgan Boyles was next to try his luck for Rainworth but his dipping half volley from range went comfortably over the bar.

Despite being below par, Ollerton almost went into the interval level as Luke Francis fairly challenged goalkeeper Lewis Scott for a ball, leading to a moment of panic in the Rainworth area but Ollie Grady and Conor Green both saw their shots on goal well blocked.

Five minutes after the restart, Ollerton had a big chance to score the equaliser. Etia's cross just missed both Francis and Gav King in the middle of the box but as Coupe tried to clear it, he lost his footing and inadvertently nudged the ball into the path of Green who looked to have a clear strike on goal but he miskicked his effort and it skewed wide of the post.

Rainworth had been testing the Ollerton defence all game with a series of long throws and in the 54th minute, another one of those long throws almost led to a second goal but the header went just wide of the post.

In the 62nd minute, Francis held the ball up for Ollerton and turned his man before playing a one-two with Etia which led to the burly Ollerton forward firing just wide of the target.

Minutes later and Ollerton were 2-0 down and left with a mountain to climb. Experienced forward Nathan Benger managed to beat his man to a loose ball and poked it past the advancing Owen and into the back of the net.

That seemed to rattle Ollerton and they should have gone further behind. After Owen had saved an initial shot, the ball rebounded to Boyles who fired over from close range and moments later, Boyles looked to be through on goal but he shanked his shot wide.

With just over ten minutes to go, Ollerton could have got a goal back. A ball over the top set King away on goal, under pressure from a Rainworth defender, but his strike was straight at Scott.

Things then went from bad to worse for Ollerton as Lewis Murr was given his marching orders for two quick-fire yellow cards, leaving the Town down to ten men.

That killed any real hope of a comeback and in the 86th minute, Rainworth got a third to rub salt in the Ollerton wounds. It was Benger who got it, his second of the game, after managing to list the ball over Owen and into the back of the net despite Josh Madin's best efforts to clear on the line.

Ollerton now head into next Saturday's final game of the season, at home to Hall Road Rangers, hoping to restore some pride before they head into the summer break.