BORO returned to winning ways on Good Friday after the woeful collapse at Ossett Albion three days earlier in which they conceded four goals in 12 second-half minutes.

The defeat in Yorkshire put the skids under their late-season promotion surge, but Boro got their appetite for attacking football back at Stainton Park and should have been three goals up at the break.

It looked to be going perfectly for Gerry Luczka’s men when Steve Howson met Eddie Stanford’s corner with a powerful header to give the hosts the lead on eight minutes.

Rossendale got the rub of the green, however, on 32 minutes when a wicked deflection allowed David Owens to level.

Ben Wharton hit back on the stroke of half time and that should have seen the Stainton Park men cruising to a comfortable victory. That was how it looked when Tom Brooks tapped home Steve Howson’s effort before it crossed the line to give Boro a two-goal cushion six minutes after the break A minute later, Ryan Zico-Black pulled one back for the bottom club courtesy of yet another big deflection which saw the ball loop into the net.

Boro director of football Gerry Luczka said it had been important for his side to bounce back after their poor performance at Ossett.

“We needed to win the game,” he said. “The lads rose to the occasion and although the final margin was not as convincing as it could have been, three points is three points.”