LANCASTER City suffered in Ellesmere Port as Vauxhall Motors powered up and sped away from the Dolly Blues before the break.

Lancaster's encouraging form of recent games was brought to an end before the interval at Rivacre Park as the relegation-threatened Motors went clear.

Tom Rooney, cousin of Manchester United's Wayne, crossed for Tony Wright to finish well to give Motors the lead and Keith Smith blasted his side 2-0 in front before City could get out of the blocks.

City were all over the place and it came as no surprise when Rooney kept his nerve six minutes before the break to leave Lancaster as good as beaten.

Boss Barrie Stimpson put Lee Sparks on at the break and he scored City's consolation on 62 minutes as he finished well from Leon Gierke's cross - but that was as good as it got and Wright hammered home nine minutes from time after James Brindle couldn't hold a Rooney pile-driver.

Lancaster City: Brindle, Rigby, Marshall, Henry, Brown, Love, Mulholland, (Sparks 45), Helliwell, Gierke (Williams 87), Connerton (Foxcroft 72), Elderton.

Referee: D Bond (Wigan); Attendance: 173