St Helens Town 1 Rossendale United 0 HOGHTON Road was one of only a few venues which survived the weekend weather and was able to stage a contest of some quality from which Town climbed up into second place in the table, their highest placing for 10 years.

The gutsy victory over Rossendale came on the heels of a fine 3-0 mid-week win at Leek CSOB where Steve Pennington's spectacular volley was supplemented by a brace from Gary Laird.

For Rossendale's visit, Town were without three of their regular back four as Dooner, Phoenix and Kirwan were absent meaning a re-call from injury for Darren Kelsey and a positional switch which saw Gary Jones revert to left-back enabling debutant Matt Farrell to slot in on the right.

Kelsey had a fine match in picking up the Lanes Trophies man of the match award but not far behind him were Gary Bickerstaffe and goalkeeper Terry Hollywood.

Rossendale were bright, inventive and co-ordinated from the start and Town had a nervous opening five minutes as firstly Knowles couldn't quite stretch enough to a low cross before Heffernan clipped the bar with a 30-yard dipper.

Despite this Town almost took a 12th-minute lead through a bizarre own goal by Walsh who not having noticed that keeper Andrews had advanced, poked the ball beyond the keeper but it trickled just wide.

On 20 minutes a fine Bickerstaffe pass sent O'Neill down the centre but Andrews was quickly off his line to smother and from the clearance Borland sent a skidding 30-yarder towards the bottom corner. But Hollywood's outstretched fingertips diverted the shot around his right hand upright.

On 27 minutes Kelsey was the saviour when heading Ollerton's lofted effort off the line then Hollywood made a splendid save in the top corner from Hefferman's free-kick after Jones had handled on the left. The half closed with two pieces of confident work by Andrews in the visitors' goal as he claimed an inswinging corner by Hill before going low to cut out Bickerstaffe's cross from the right with no margin of error as O'Neill bore down on him.

The visitors resumed attacking the Hoghton Road end and Town keeper Hollywood was smartly down at his near post to save at Borland's feet in determined fashion and from this, Town sprang to strike the game's telling blow. Laird had already been denied by a superb last-ditch tackle by Walsh before he soared to crossbar height to head home a Griffiths left wing cross after a superb free-kick by Kelsey had picked out Griffiths on the left.

Still enjoying the majority of possession, Rossendale probed and threatened frequently but the St Helens defence was excellent but were grateful to see Heys driven corner kick flash across the goal face without being converted. A similar situation at the other end saw Hills inswinger just evade O'Neill at the far post before Laird rose to find the net with another towering header but Bickerstaffe was adjudged to have ran the ball out before crossing from the right.

This Saturday the two teams meet in the reverse fixture at Rossendale kick off 3pm (coach 12.30pm) while Rossy could be back at Hoghton Road again on Wednesday December 16 providing they overcome Ramsbottom United in a floodlit trophy replay. For conformation ring club information line on 817225 as to whom Towns opponents will be.

Numbers drawn in Town's lottery were 2, 3, 7, 8, 12and 13. There were no winners and this week's prize is £770 from number 1-14.

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