Dr martens:

The Supermarine resurgence was halted on Saturday, as Clive Maguire's charges lost 2-0 to a Bloxwich side inspired by former Birmingham City star Ricky Otto.

The midfielder - who once commanded a million pound transfer fee - scored one, made the other, and generally stamped his class all over proceedings.

But the defeat was rough justice on an ever evolving Supermarine line-up that are finally imposing themselves on the Southern League.

Clive Maguire's men carved out a succession of second-half chances, as they outplayed the visitors, but a host of goalscoring opportunities went begging.

Neither keeper was seriously tested until Otto's strike, and the only excitement occurred in the centre circle, as a series of skirmishes looked like boiling over into a full-scale brawl.

Then, after 42 minutes, Otto broke the deadlock. Tricky winger Paul Gozzard - a constant threat throughout - left Marine defender Matt Jack for dead, before firing a great cross into the box.

The home side failed to deal with the delivery, and Otto was on hand to pick his spot, slotting the ball past a helpless Paul Haines.

The goal stunned Marine into life after the interval. Winger Michael Silvanus and on loan forward Dave Toomey began to run the Bloxwich rearguard ragged. The equaliser looked inevitable as the hour mark approached, but it failed to materialise.

With eight minutes remaining, Marine were caught with a sucker-punch that proved the killer blow. Otto weaved his way to the by-line, before pulling the ball back to Grant Beckett. His sweeping cross was met by Lee Ross, who headed home firmly at the back post.

Maguire said: "We absolutely battered them second-half, but if you don't take your chances you don't win games. We know we were better than the result reflected, but again we've nothing to show for it."

The Hunts Copse outfit travel to injury-hit Mangotsfield tomorrow night.