Oldham Athletic’s Youth Team were held to a 0-0 draw away at Hartlepool on Saturday.
The draw leaves the Young Blues five points off the top spot after Mansfield Town won 1-0 on the road away at Chesterfield on Friday.
Latics' have four games left to play with three of those away from home.
Manager Tony Philliskirk believes it will be a tough ask to win the league: “It’ll be very difficult from now on.
“We got ourselves in a great position we just haven't been able to get ourselves over the line.
“We wont give in, as long as we can still win you never know.”
The gaffer was impressed with the performance but rued his side’s missed chances.
“In the last three, our problem which we’ve had all season has comeback to haunt us, we just haven't scored enough goals.
“We dominated the game, missed a penalty, that happens but we’ve missed four or five absolute guilt edge chances.”
Late in the game, centre-back Dylan King was shown a straight red for a last man challenge, but despite going a man down the team hung on.
“Credit to the lads they showed great resolution, Hartlepool came at us after we’d dominated for 70 minutes and they put us under pressure,” Philliskirk said.
“Even towards the end we were pushing, even with ten men we were committing men forward because we knew we had to score and we had two or three great opportunities we just didn't work the keeper.”