NOT even the wind, rain and a strong Holker side could stop Padiham from picking up another three NWCL Division Two league points as the Storks extended their unbeaten start to the season to 13 games.

In a hectic opening to the game, Holker had their two best efforts of the game early on when Paul Southward hit the Padiham crossbar in the fifth minute and then forced Storks keeper Kirk Marsden into making a great one-handed save four minutes later as the visitors took full advantage of the elements to try and put Padiham on the backfoot.

Padiham hit back with a Robbie Smith shot that needed a good save from Holker's keeper Darren Hoyland, Anthony McCluskey then headed just over from a corner and on 27 minutes the home side took the lead when Ian Pilkington struck from just inside the visitors' goal area after some excellent closing down by Robbie Smith created the opening.

Holker's Dave John reminded Padiham that they couldn't sit back on their lead with a fierce shot in the 32nd minute which needed another good stop from Marsden to keep the Storks' lead intact until half time.

After the interval Padiham nearly scored in their first attack when a Robbie Smith cross was headed back across the face of the visitors goals by John Harrison only for Pilkington to somehow head wide with an open goal beckoning.

Padiham did better in the 62nd minute after Craig Wilkinson put Martyn Thompson through and the young striker coolly rounded Holker's keeper to score the Storks' second of the afternoon.

Eight minutes from time Ian Pilkington made amends for his earlier second half miss when he picked up a poor defensive clearance and ran on to slot home the Storks third and final goal of a highly entertaining game.

Before the match Padiham's first team manager Graham Haworth and Padiham goalkeeper Kirk Marsden received their September manager of the month and ICIS goalkeeper of the month awards from North West Counties Football League management committee representative Frank Clayton.

PADIHAM...3

HOLKER OB...0