IN a titanic struggle at Bishop Road, last season's LCFA Intermediate Cup winners, Carr Mill of the St Helens Combination scraped through this year's first round stage of the LCFA Junior Cup.

They went through on a penalty shoot-out following a 4-4 after extra time deadlock with Liverpool County Combination outfit, Donningsbridge Park.

Martin Hynes with a hat-trick and a Steve Dearden goal were the Carr Mill marksmen.

Competing in the LCFA Intermediate Cup were Old Congs (Haydock) and fellow St Helens Star Premier Division club, Penlake Juniors, who met at Haydock.

The game ended in a narrow 2-1 home win for Old Congs. New side, Railway Rangers, competing for the first time in the LCFA Cup, bowed out, beaten 0-4 at home by Home Office Reserves.

Child Reserves triumphed by 8-4 with goals from Matt Richardson (3) Carl Baker, Alan Hughes (2), Mike Sutton and Dave Underwood over South Mersey FC.

In league games, Alex Aresti hit two goals and Chris Dansfield the other as Prescot Leisure Reserves were held 3-3 at home by Gerard Arms.

Carborundum recorded a 3-1 home win over East Sutton Labour.

Dave Fenney and Dave Jacks goals earned Junction FC a fine 2-0 away success at Sportsmans Athletic, but, the veteran Meek side went under 3-1 at Nutgrove (Tony Jones, Jeff Highton and Karl Adam). Gavin Scott (2) and Paul Thomas goals saved Eccleston United as they were held 3-3 at home to Sidac Social after leading 3-1. Travellers Rest, 0-3 down at one spell fought back to level the scores 4-4 at home to Billinge, who lost John Farrell with a nasty eye injury. Clock Face Miners Welfare went nap at West Bank.

The Combination Open Age League Squad starts its 1999-2000 campaign at Wigan's Robin Park on Tuesday, September 28 when they meet Wigan Amateur League in Group One of the North West Inter League Alliance.

The squad, which is asked to meet at Birchley Street for a 6.45pm departure is: G Benyon, D Chisnall (Shoe), P Thomas (Eccleston United), G Hill, D White (Gerard Arms), C Bridge (Penlake), P Cummings (E S Labour), M Pilkington (Sportsmans Athletic), S Callaghan, G Ball, S Tickle, M Hynes, P Stroud, M Kelly, S Coakley (all Carr Mill).

Anyone unavailable are asked to ring manager Phil Duffy immediately on 01744 625834 or Eric Bond on 01942 723221, the kick off will be 8pm. RESULTS

St Helens Star Premier Division: Prescot Leisure FC 3 Gerard Arms FC 3, Carborundum 3 East Sutton Labour 1.

Division One: Sportsmans FC 0 Junction FC 2, Nutgrove FC 3 Meek FC 1, Eccleston United 3 Sidac Social 3, Travellers Rest 4 Billinge FC 4, West Bank FC 0 Clock Face Miners 5.

Division Two: Clock Face Reserves 4 Top Nogs FC 0, Bull and Dog FC 1 Earlestown 6, Billinge Reserves 1 Green Dragon 1, Kendricks Cross 0 Gerard Arms Reserves 2, Pilkington A 1 Broad Oak FC 1.

Division Three: Trees FC 7 Bewsey FC 5, East Sutton Labour 1 Red Star Rainford 1, Hardshaw Argyle 4 Rainford North End Reserves 2, Carr Mill Reserves 2 Leach Lane FC 0, College St Helens 7 Cowley Hill Park 2.

Liverpool County FC Junior Cup First Round: Carr Mill FC 4 Dunningsbridge Park 4 (after extra time).

Liverpool County FA Intermediate Cup First Round: Old Congs (Haydock) 2 Penlake Juniors 1, Railway Rangers 0 Home Office Reserves 4, South Mersey 4 Child Reserves 8.

Sunday Division: Bleak Hill Rovers 5 Ex Services (Rainhill) 5, East Sutton Labour 3 Rose and Crown 5, Racing Rovers 5 Bispham Celtic 1, Sutton Heath Panthers 4 Owens Corning 5, Victoria (Rainhill) 1 York 1, York Reserves 2 Penlake 0.

FIXTURES

Hospital Cup First Round: Billinge FC v Sidac Social FC (D Forber), Cowley Hill Park v Travellers Rest (C Tunstall), Grosvenor Park v Meek FC (P Hughes), Broad Oak FC v West Bank FC (H Ireland), Railway Rangers v Top Nogs FC (J Porter), Kendricks Cross v Bewsey FC (D Rose), Clock Face Miners v Trees FC (E Johnson).

Rainford Potteries Cup First Round: Rainford North End Reserves v Billinge Reserves (D Allen), Pilkington A v East Sutton Reserves (H Nulty), Gerard Arms Reserves v Clock Face Reserves (E Baines).

St Helens Star Premier Division: Carr Mill FC v Carborundum (T Swift), Pilkington Reserves v Haresfinch Social (C Hulme), Shoe FC v Prescot Leisure (P Russell), Old Congs (Haydock) v Rainford North End (G Barker), Gerard Arms v East Sutton Labour (R McClintock), Penlake Juniors v Child Reserves (E Eccles).

Division One: Nutgrove FC v Eccleston United (R Murray).

Sunday Division: Bispham Celtic v Victoria (Rainhill) (D Forber), Brownedge v Racing Rovers, Owens Cornings v York Reserves (D Allen), Penlake v East Sutton Labour, Rose and Crown v Bleak Hill Rovers (T Gorman), York v Sutton Heath Panthers (E Johnson).

Tuesday September 28

North West Inter League Alliance Group One: St Helens Combination v Wigan Amateur League at Robin Park, Wigan, kick off 8pm.

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