St Helens Town 1 Vauxhall Motors 0 THE sun eventually shone, the newly crowned champions were defeated and who else but Steve Pennington scored the last goal at Hoghton Road to earn a place in local history as Town bade farewell to their base after 54 years.

It was an emotional day which drew non-league followers from as far as Cornwall, Southampton and Norwich along with several Town old boys and it was a fitting result for everyone except Vauxhall who took their reverse in good heart.

Pellet who due to personal circumstances has only figured fleetingly this year has, by far, notched more goals than anyone at Hoghton Road but he and everyone present knew the significance of Saturday's match winner and his celebration showed it.

Ironically he only featured for 20 minutes in coming off the bench, netting and going off again, much to the dismay of champions Vauxhall who have now surrendered four of the six points competed for to St Helens.

It was also a last for Manchester referee Mr Noel Doherty who officiated for the final time before retiring and he too played his part in keeping things flowing in what was an event rather than a match. Attacking the Moss End, Vauxhall showed some class football let down only by wild finishing as Blundell erred twice for good positions.

Town were no slouches either despite being without this season's top scorer Steve O'Neill and midfield dynamo Mick Gilmore with Glen Walker influential early on but his shot lacked power to beat Hilton. Town's Hill suffered a similar fate but it was Hollywood in the St Helens goal who was the busier, making competent saves from Nesbitt and Daley while on 26 minutes Vauxhall had the ball in the net but Riley was adjudged to have fouled the keeper.

Town boss Jim McBride replaced Phoenix with Cooney for the second half and he was to produce a good performance on the left and only a brilliant one handed save by Hilton prevented Walker heading Town in front in the 56th minute. Walker then withdrew enabling St Helens talisman Steve Pennington to produce a cameo no one present will forget but not before Vauxhall created some serious problems. Hollywood produced a fine double save to foil Daley and Clarke before Daley's 25-yard volley scurried inches past the post.

Then came the magic moment in the 64th minute when Town swept neatly down the right through Kirwan and Hill and when the cross came over, Pennington's uncanny knack of anticipation and execution resulted in a precision cross short evading Hilton's despairing left hand and finding the bottom corner. It was a special moment celebrated in style but Town still had work to do to claim the points and they survived a 70th-minute scare when Blundell's acute cut-back rolled along the goal line with neither Odger or keeper Hollywood getting a touch as they both ended in the back of the net.

With 15 minutes to go Pennington had a snap chance to double his tally from Cooney's cross but stabbed wide of the far past and duly departed back to the bench enabling Dyson to arrive and make some forceful runs and both he and Cooney had chances to wrap things up.

With two minutes remaining Vauxhall squandered a great chance to grab a point when Lacy, up for a corner planted a free header wide as for once the otherwise excellent Jones and Kirwan lost their bearings but perhaps it was fitting that on such an occasion, Town should sign off by beating the champions.

Towns Lanes Trophies man of the match was Gary Jones.

St Helens: Hollywood, Kirwan, Phoenix, Dooner, Clarke, Jones, Quirk, Hill, Walker, Laird, Fitzsimmons. Subs: Dyson, Pennington, Cooney.