CREWE and Nantwich effectively dropped out of the promotion race with their second successive league defeat on Saturday.
The loss to Ruskin Park means the only realistic aims remaining is to finish third in the Euromanx South Lancs/Cheshire League Division Two.
With influential players like Matt Farr, Lee Gray, Andreas Reckewerth and Andy Thompson all sidelined, Crewe were forced to field their youngsters.
But they enjoyed a super start when Dean Carter drove under a pile of players to ground the ball over the tryline, after a line-out.
Play was very open and only resolute tackling kept both sides from scoring. However, Ruskin managed to break through and notch a converted try, before a Tom Maguire penalty restored Crewe's lead at 8-7 at the interval.
The second half saw the visitors score a brace of top-class tries that put them into an unassailable lead of 11 points.
But Crewe's Liam Sloyan refused to give up and bursting through to score. Maguire casually converted, but the hosts ran out of time as they pressed for more points.
Veteran Stuart Banks scored the vital try, converted by Mike Parker, as the seconds secured a rare victory with a 7-3 success over a tough Broughton Park. The thirds and fifths went down at Bedians and Linley respectively.
Crewe and Nantwich U14s enjoyed mixed fortunes on tour, beating Bedford Blues 14-5, but also being crushed 34-0 by Shelford. In the victory Patrick Madden, Kieran Flynn and Joe Gammage got the tries, with Scott Cann kicking a conversion.
The U13s will play Macclesfield at the Vagrants Sports Ground, Willaston, in the Cheshire Cup quarter-final at 11am on Sunday.
