Bamber Bridge look to get back on the winning trail against Gainsborough Trinity

Brig slipped to third in the table after seeing their four-match winning run end at home to Scarborough Athletic on Saturday.

Boro – who were beaten 4-2 in the reverse fixture earlier in the season – turned the tables with a fine 2-0 victory.

The horrendous weather conditions did play a part and boss Jamie Milligan did praise his men for the way they battled throughout the 90 minutes.

However, Boro arguably adapted to the conditions better and Milligan lamented his men’s lack of creativity in the final third.

“They were tough conditions on Saturday and a tough pitch to play on but it was the same for both sides,” said Milligan.

“I thought we were quite comfortable up until that final third and we have struggled over the past few weeks to break down sides in that final third.

“They did a job on us and credit to Scarborough you can’t take anything away from them.”

The match also signalled the end of attacking midfielder Rob Apter’s loan stint at Brig after he was recalled by parent club Blackpool.

Milligan admitted the loss of the marauding wide player will be a big miss over the remainder of the season.

“Rob’s definitely going to be a big miss for us,” he said. “He’s scored nine goals for us this season and is constant threat throughout the games.

“He’s been getting man-marked and he is a big threat.

“I like to think we have done well for Rob. He’s become a youth international for Scotland, won a new two-and-a-half year deal with Blackpool so I like to think we have helped him with his development.

“But it’s probably time for him to try higher up the football pyramid.”

Although disappointed to see his men fall outside the top two in the division, Milligan knows there is still a long way to go.

With a busy festive period to come with games against derby rivals Lancaster and Warrington, Milligan may to look to rotate his players.

“We have got a big game against Gainsborough and then obviously Lancaster on December 27and Warrington Town on New Year’s Day. Warrington and Lancaster played against each other the other week so I was able to go and watch that.

“We just need to keep everybody fresh for the games that we have got coming up and hopefully we can carry on as we have been doing.”

Chorley are without a game this weekend having gone out of the FA Trophy at the first hurdle.

Bamber Bridge will look for a response this weekend when they head to Gainsborough Trinity in the NPL Premier Division.

Support us and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.