Town call the tune

IN the course of a season there are champagne days and bread-and-butter days and the latter better describes this Town success against hard-working Atherton Colls at Knowsley Road on Saturday.

Nevertheless the three points gained in the title chase is all that matters and they were always in control of a game in which the visitors, under new management, attempted to make things difficult.

Hot-shot Terry Fearns grabbed a goal in each half to take his tally to 16 and only a last-minute block on the line denied him a hat-trick.

But it was in midfield that a frequently scrappy encounter was decided as Town's Hennigan and Lanes Trophies man-of-the-match Chris Quirk outshone their counterparts.

Indeed, Quirk was almost on the scoresheet within a minute but his neat chip just cleared the bar. This set the pattern for St Helens' domination of a first half in which they frequently threatened the Edington end goal.

Atherton did themselves no favours by repeatedly giving the ball away while Lawler in their goal nervously made handling errors with Boden and Gibson having to tidy up.

Wolstenholme was the visitors' liveliest performer and it needed a good tackle by Phoenix to thwart a 14th-minute threat.

But it was St Helens who called the tune and in the 17th minute they went ahead when a great pass by Hennigan sent Fearns away up the inside right channel and he slotted past the oncoming keeper.

More goals threatened, with Cooper heading just wide before Nestor sent a dipper narrowly over. Then Cooper nodded down for Ashton whose shot was saved by Lawler.

Town began to over-elaborate enabling Colls to reach the interval only a goal adrift and posing a late threat themselves when only a timely interception by home skipper Jones cut out Gibson's pass to the unmarked Hardman.

The second half opened very scrappily with passes constantly going astray and it was close to the hour before any hint of a chance came along when a St Helens free kick saw Quirk ghost in only to see his glancing header go straight at the keeper. Lawler then got down smartly to smother a Nestor effort before Colls replied through Wolstenholme whose blast was blocked by Jones.

By the three-quarter mark it had all gone shapeless but with Town's on-loan keeper Paul Blasbery still a virtual spectator in deputising for the suspended Phil Wood, his side still needed a second goal to guarantee against any slip-ups.

With 15 minute to go, they got it when another exquisite pass by Hennigan split the defence and Fearns got around the back to send a neat chip into the far corner.

Points now safe, Town boss Jimmy McBride sent on Reilly and Bell for a late run and the latter was denied an 82nd minute goal by the underside of the crossbar after Hennigan's in-swinging corner had been headed off the line.

The completion of Fearns' hat-trick would have rounded off affairs nicely and he would have got it courtesy of some great work by Cowley, but Colls' full-back Smith stuck out a boot on the line to deny the on-fire striker.

This Saturday Town bid for the last 32 of the Carlsberg FA Vase at Squiresgate (coach 11.30am, kick-off 3pm). Any replay will be at Knowsley Road on Wednesday December 13, kick off 7.30pm).