A TOTAL of 12 games failed to take place in the St Helens Combination on Saturday.

Only two games took place in the St Helens Star Premier Division, these being, a 7-0 away success for Shoe at Old Congs and Carr Mill scoring a 7-2 away win at Prescot Leisure - Rob Stroud (3), Gary Ball, Paul Barton, Mark Kelly and Scott Tickle goals doing the damage.

One match survived in Division One - this being a 6-5 home win for Nutgrove over Sportsmans Athletic. Nutgrove, at one spell 2-5 down with only 10 men, suddenly came to life and further goals to add to Hobin and Highton strikes, by Hobin (2), Sean Highton and Fenney turned the game in Nutgrove's favour.

Division Two title chasers Clock Face Miners Welfare Reserves, won 4-2 at Bull and Dog (Reilly and Conway), but Gerard Arms Reserves survived a last quarter onslaught to take the game at Pilkington A by 1-0.

Bowling Green (Jordan 3, Ravenscroft 3 and Lynch) thrashed a tired looking Green Dragon 7-0. Paul and Gary Farrell plus Dave Johnson hit the goals for Billinge Reserves in a 3-1 home beating of Earlestown (Wellington). In Division Three, Chorley (2), Chisnall, Whittingham, Johnson, Leyland, Hill and Fairclough hit the target as East Sutton Labour Reserves thumped Trees FC 8-1.

Carr Mill Reserves had to rely upon a 85th minute penalty by Chris Pimblett to get full points from Rainford North End Reserves 1-0. Cowley Hill Park, thanks to goals from Peter Yates (2), James Heaton and Ste Bradley outgunned Bewsey Athletic 4-0.

In some closely fought Sunday Division matches, Rose & Crown just scraped through 1-0 at Racing Rovers to keep their 100 per cent status, but last seasons champions, Ex-Services Rainhill are finding it not quite so rosy this term, going under again, this time a 1-3 defeat at Victoria (Rainhill). East Sutton Labour, now getting to grips scraped through 3-2 at York Reserves. Owens Cornings trip to Upholland to face Bispham Celtic was worthwhile, a 4-3 win being the prize. Sutton Heath Panthers and Bleak Hill Rovers battled out a 1-1 stalemate at Grange Park. The Lancashire FC under 18 Inter League semi-final between St Helens Combination and Preston District Leagues turned out to be one of the best displays at this level for some while. There were no fewer than eight Liverpool CFA Youth players on view, and these lads helped to stage this great tie. Preston had five on view, these playing in that league for Burscough FC Youth and the Combination had Chirs Marsh, Mark Evans plus Steph Abbott.

No excuses can be made for the St Helens defeat by 1-3, as Preston always had the edge, but only in the positions where the County lads played - every player for St Helens had a good game, and the goal by Jon Harper (Hardshaw A) from a brilliant cross from Gary Taylor (East Sutton Labour) was the goal of the game.

The season has now finished for the St Helens under 18 squad, but in the three competitive games played, some fine young talent has been unearthed, and these players have had a taste, at County and County FA level, of the higher and finer arts of the game. Under 18 manager, Eric Bond will be stepping down from that position, which apart from a Keith Rees spell in 1995, he has held since 1982, together with the Open Age Mangership until Phil Duffy took over in 1992-3.

It is hoped that Alan Ward - ex Prescot Rangers, Red Eagle and Prescot Cables stalwart will take over the managership after coming on board this season with the Chairman. RESULTS

St Helens Star Premier Division: Old Congs (Haydock) 0 Shoe FC 7, Prescot Leisure Reserves 2 Carr Mill 7.

Division One: Nutgrove 6 Sportsmans FC 5.

Division Two: Bull and Dog 2 Clock Face Miners Reserves 4, Billinge Reserves 3 Earlestown (Wellington) 1, Bowling Green 7 Green Dragon (Sutton Manor) 0, Pilkington A 0 Gerard Arms Reserves 1.

Division Three: East Sutton Labour Reserves 8 Trees FC 1, Carr Mill Reserves 1 Rainford North End Reserves 0, Cowley Hill Park 4 Bewsey FC 0.

Lancashire FA under 18 Inter League semi final: St Helens Combination 1 Prescot and District League 3.

Sunday Division: Bispham Celtic 3 Owens Corning 4, Racing Rovers 0 Rose and Crown 1, Sutton Heath Panthers 1 Bleak Hill Rovers 1, Victoria Rainhill 3 Ex Services Rainhill 1, York Reserves 2 East Sutton Labour 3. FIXTURES

Hospital Cup Third Round: Carr Mill v Hardshaw Argyle.

Hospital Cup Fourth Round: Penlake Juniors v Rainford Red Star.

St Helens Star Premier Division: Gerard Arms v Carborundum, Pilkington Reserves v Prescot Leisure Reserves, Shoe FC v Rainford North End, East Sutton Labour v Old Congs (Haydock).

Division One: Sidac Social v Chestnut Lodge, Meek FC v Travellers Rest, Sportsmans v Eccleston United, Billinge FC v West Bank, Junction FC v Nutgrove.

Division Two: Green Dragon v Kendricks Cross, Earlestown v Bowling Green, Top Nogs v Bull and Dog.

Division Three: Trees FC v Grosvenor Park, Leach Lane v Cowley Hill Park, Bewsey FC v East Sutton Labour Reserves.

Rainford Potteries Cup Semi-finals: Carr Mill Reserves v Clock Face Miners Reserves; Rainford North End Reserves v Pilkington A.

Liverpool CFA Intermediate Cup Round Four: Liverpool NALGO Reserves v Broad Oak, Child Reserves v Willowbank.

Sunday Division: Bleak Hill Rovers v York Reserves, Owens Corning v Brown Edge, Penlake v Racing Rovers, Rose and Crown v Victoria Rainhill, York v Bishham Celtic.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.