Carlisle City slipped out of the FA Vase when they were beaten 1-0 at Padiham.
The North West Counties League side won with a controversial goal on the hour from Joel Brownhill.
City manager Jim Nichols said: “We thought at the time he was offside and when I’ve watched the video it confirms that.
“He was in behind our defence when the ball was played and got away for a one on one which he finished.
“In truth the two sides only created four or five chances between them and in many ways the game followed the same pattern as our League defeat at West Allotment on Tuesday.
“We defended our box well enough but couldn’t do enough at the other end.
“So that’s consecutive defeats in two knock-out competitions so we have to focus on the League, and we also lost for the first time in between the two Cup defeats.”
They are back in action on Tuesday night and it’s a big one – at home in Northern League Division One to unbeaten Ashington.
They have played five and won five and along with Bishop Auckland have spent a fair bit of money attracting prominent players.
Robbie Dale, a regular goal-scorer over many years at Blyth has signed along with his former Spartans team-mate Dan McGuire.
They will come to Gillford Park after a defeat, however, as they crashed-out of the FA Vase on Saturday, beaten 6-4 at home by Billingham Town.
Nichols is expecting a tough test for his side, although he can point to an excellent 1-0 backs-to-the-wall win at the other free-spending club Bishop Auckland earlier in the month.
“I have no doubt it’s going to be tough and although Dan Kirkup has completed his suspension he isn’t available until Saturday.
“It’s a game, however, we are all looking forward to and after three successive defeats we want to get back into winning ways,” said Nichols.
