JOINT boss Ady Gallagher hopes Ryman League Premier Division club Lowestoft Town’s shock FA Trophy First Round exit to Zamaretto League Division One Central side Uxbridge will serve as a wake-up call.

A bizarre late flurry of action helped condemn the Ryman Premier promotion-hopefuls to their first Crown Meadow defeat of the season – a 3-2 defeat to a side struggling a level below the Trawlerboys in the non-League Pyramid.

“We were the better side, had a lot of chances – we counted six one-on-ones in the game – and if you don’t take your chances you don’t deserve to win,” said Gallagher.

“They’ve probably had less chances than that in the whole game, rode their luck and took their chances, so it’s a bit of a wake-up call for us, because I didn’t think we were great at times, but we certainly created enough to win the game.”

Saturday was the first time a Lowestoft fixture had beaten the weather since the previous round of the Trophy on November 20th. But they probably wished it had not, as four goals and a sending-off in the final four minutes – plus four minutes of added time – sealed their fate.

Town had the better of the chances before the break, but on the hour disaster struck when Greg Crane’s shocking back pass gave away a needless corner, and from Dean Clark’s delivery Chris Moore steered his downward header home to stun Crown Meadow.

Lowestoft pressed after that, but heroics from goalkeeper Michael Piwonski and some wasteful finishing kept the Reds’ lead intact.

In fact, Stuart Farrell missed a great chance to double it – moments before Adrian Forbes, making his return from a knee injury, should have levelled, but contrived to drive wide of the far post.

From there things went crazy. First Mohamid Hashi lashed in from close range four minutes from time, before Moore grabbed his second two minutes later.

The Blues were seemingly down and out but Forbes notched from close range in the 89th minute and again in the third minute of injury time to give Town the slimmest of hopes – added to by full-back Gavin Brown’s sending off for a second booking as he tried to prevent Lowestoft from retrieving the ball quickly following their second goal.

The Trawlerboys travel to Canvey Island on Tuesday, and will hope to make the most of having at least three games in hand on all seven teams above them in the league following the wintery weather.