Workington blew the chance to go second in the NPL West table when they lost 1-0 at lowly Widnes.
For while the Cumbrians were falling to a late goal, rivals Leek Town were also going down 1-0 at play-off chasing Clitheroe.
The worry for both clubs, currently second and third, is that Clitheroe and Witton in particular among the chasing pack, are finding momentum at the right time of the season.
Witton are next on the agenda for the Reds at Borough Park on Saturday, and they then face a long and testing trip to Kidsgrove on Bank Holiday Monday.
After watching his side slip up at Widnes, manager Danny Grainger said: “We have four games left and they are going to be Cup finals for us.
“This wasn’t acceptable and I want to apologise to the fans who made the trip down for the game.
“We weren’t at it, either with the ball or without the ball and Widnes were deserving winners.
“It was disappointing because we were nowhere near where we should have been, and where we have been in a couple of recent games.
“I will look at the game again but I’m thinking at this stage that I should maybe have freshened the side up. I know it backfired on me before doing that but maybe it need it this time.
“But with two games over Easter there will be changes on the two daysn and players will get a chance to show how much they want a shirt going forward.”
Reds had the ball in the net in the first half through Scott Allison but the referee ruled there had been a foul on the home goalkeeper.
Allison also created Reds best chance of the game for young Kai Nugent but he was unable to take it as he lifted his effort over the bar.
Reds had beaten Widnes at Borough Park with two stoppage time goals so there was some irony that Widnes won it with a goal on 86 minutes.
The visitors lost possession and when Widnes broke Sean Miller produced a perfect finish to fire past Jim Atkinson.
