DAVE McNabb slammed his Warrington Rylands side's display as "unacceptable" as they slipped to their first league defeat of the season.

Blues were beaten 3-2 by City of Liverpool to drop them out of the Northern Premier League West Division play-off places.

Freddie Potter – the former Rylands striker who was part of the squad that memorably won the FA Vase last season – came back to haunt his former side and was among the scorers for the visitors.

Stephen Milne equalised for the hosts before City of Liverpool had Louis Corrigan sent off, but Nathan Burke put the visitors ahead again from the penalty spot just before half time.

Jack Hazlehurst then doubled the visitors' advantage after the break and despite Lewis Earl reducing the arrears in the last minute of normal time, McNabb's men could not claw it back.

Blues also finished with 10 men, with Warren Gerrard sent off for a second bookable offence.

"I’m disappointed, really," McNabb said.

"The application and work ethic of the players today from start to finish was unacceptable. It wasn’t good enough.

"I don’t want to take anything away from City of Liverpool – they more than deserved to win the game – but I’m really disappointed with the group."

On Potter, he said: "Freddie hasn’t got anything to prove today.

"He’s not just played a few good games for us, he’s consistently been one of the best centre forwards at this level for 10-plus years.

"I’m sure he enjoyed it. Fair play to him, he’s worked hard and got himself in really good shape.

"He’s a good lad and he helped me out a lot when he was here.

"Probably the only positive to come out of today is that we don’t have to wait too long until the next game.

"I’ll be expecting a big reaction against Kendal on Tuesday."