A FIRST defeat in 15 league and cup games brought a crushing end to AFC Ludlow’s impressive unbeaten start to the 2015-16 campaign.

Boss Dave Cooper admitted his table-topping team had been “bullied” from start to finish in a bizarre 4-1 defeat at Darlaston Town that saw Ludlow keeper Ian Havard beaten by no fewer than three penalties.

Cooper confessed: “We had to lose some time but at least the monkey is off our back now, and you don’t become a bad team overnight.

“We deserve to be where we are in the table but this was a game in which we failed to stand up and be counted. Darlaston bullied us from the outset, playing a long-ball game, and we got dragged in to trying to match them.

“Too many of our players didn’t turn up but we have to put it behind us and look ahead to putting it right against FC Stafford this weekend.”

Cooper said that his decision to keep faith with the side who won 5-2 at Shifnal Town the previous week was probably a mistake, with the fit-again Kieran Dovey, Jamie Hammonds and Steve Brotherwood all starting on the bench.

Ludlow, whose lead at the head of the West Midlands (Regional)?League Division One table has been cut to seven?points, actually took the lead when Danny Gower’s cross shot set up Keanu Cooper to tap in his 10th goal of the season on 32 minutes.

But by the time boss Cooper introduced Kieran Dovey, Hammonds and Brotherwood in the second half, Ludlow were trailing 2-1, both Darlaston goals coming from the penalty spot.

The first arrived just a minute after Ludlow’s opener, with Luke Hicks handling and Martin Standon scoring from the spot.

Then a reckless challenge from Jamie Smith conceded a second spot-kick in the 67th minute and substitute Sam Giles stepped up to convert from 12 yards.

A free-kick brought Darlaston’s third goal on 85 minutes, Giles hitting the bar from 25 yards and Leon Taylor first to the rebound with Havard stranded.

With Ludlow down to ten men after Gavin Podmore limped off, the home side completed the scoring when Hammonds lost his head and hacked down the tricky Taylor and Giles put away his second penalty of the afternoon.

Cooper added: “It was a frustrating 90 minutes and we need to use it as a wake-up call. I will change the side this week and we have to go again.”

*AFC Ludlow will renew their rivalry with Telford Juniors in the quarter-finals of the TJ?Vickers Shropshire Premier Cup. They have been given a home tie, with the date still to be confirmed.

Dave Cooper said:?“We haven’t played Telford Juniors since our Mercian League days, but they were always quite a physical side. They were one of the few teams to beat us the year we won the title.”