AFTER more than five hours without scoring, Winsford United settled this encounter by finding the net twice in quarter of an hour.

It ends a sequence of three league defeats for Blues.

A position in the table's top-half remains within reach with 11 games left.

Ryan Mellor broke their duck against in-form Maine Road on Saturday, squeezing the ball between the legs of visiting goalkeeper Ryan Livesey after reaching first Sam Howell’s defence-splitting pass.

Danny Hudson twice sent efforts over the bar before Blues double their lead after half an hour when an alert Dave Davies jabbed in after Livesey had spilled Lee Duckworth’s corner.

The visitors, who had risen to seventh after winning four of their previous five matches, responded when Matthew Morgan directed a free kick too close to Winsford custodian Dale Latham.

Morgan’s next attempt from a set piece, shortly after the interval, was deflected for a corner.

However their rally did not last, and the home team went close to adding a third goal when Ryan Eiselt’s header from Danny Egan’s cross prompted a superb save from Livesey.

When Hudson did find the net, a linesman ruled he had strayed offside.

Scott Taylor and Howell both tried their luck before the final whistle, but by then Blues’ two-goal cushion was enough to secure a first Premier Division success in five attempts.

They visit lowly AFC Darwen this Saturday, then a resurgent Squires Gate on Tuesday night.

Winsford | Latham (GK), Bayley (Hibbert 69), Duckworth, Howell, Davies, Eiselt, Taylor, Rothwell, Mellor (Johnson 78), Egan, Hudson (Riley 63) Subs not used Jones, Hull Goals Mellor 13, Davies 30 Booked Johnson

Maine Road | Livesey (GK), Senior, Flynn (Casey 35), Mason, Louis Edwards, Bass (Hill 46), Broady, Morgan (Owen 72), Burke, Tyler Edwards, Tinker Subs not used Hirst, Breslin Booked Broady

Referee Dale Baines (Liverpool)

Attendance 112

Additional reporting by Bob Astles