St Helens Town 3

Warrington Town 1

(Liverpool Senior Cup)

St Helens Town 2

Nantwich Town 3 (NWCL One) IT was a 'curate's egg' of a week for St Helens Town. They marched into the quarter-finals of the Liverpool Senior Cup with a sound display against Warrington in midweek.

But their league form slumped yet again on Saturday when they slipped out of the top six for the first time this season.

Three successive home defeats have ended any remote hopes of a title challenge. But, at least, the season is still well alive thanks to cup football. The conquest of Warrington was all that Saturday's crash was not and a display of passion, concentration and some style saw them through to the stage when they could be drawn against the likes of Everton Reserves, Liverpool Reserves or Tranmere Reserves.

A goalless first half was not devoid of incident with Town keeper Allison making two fine saves from headers by Glass and Ashton, while Thomson in the Warrington goal made a couple of vital blocks with Walmesley and Dooner missing out. After the break Town took a 55th minute lead when Quirk's shot spiralled up off a defender and with the spin making it difficult for the keeper, Steve Pennington was able to pounce and set his side on their way. Ten minutes later Quirk anticipated 'old boy' Langton's defensive back header to smash number two home from close range and when Dooner slotted home in the 70th minute to round off a sweet move, a rout looked on.

Bravely Warrington resisted and fought back to record a fine consolation goal when Thornley at pace hooked a 25-yarder over Allison's advance.

On Saturday Nantwich's league visit proved that old adage that a two-goal lead very early on is a dangerous thing as St Helens made a flying start with a brace from Steve O'Neill within 10 minutes.

A corner kick was the route for the second minute opener while a fine pass by Walmesley created goal number two but Town threw away their precious advantage in the 26th and 28th minute. Agius started Nantwich's come back when a power free kick deceived Allison in the Town goal and when Jones chipped cooly over the keeper's sprawl to level, St Helens now had a serious problem still having to face an influential wind in the second half.

Donlan could have given Town some currency to survive the second half but first shot wide, then saw Dabbers keeper Pay make a truly brilliant one handed save to send the sides in level at the interval.

Facing the elements compounded by a setting sun Town's task was difficult and Alison had already made a smart double save from Davenport before Nantwich went ahead in scrappy fashion when from a corner kick, a header by Notice deflected off his colleague Jones in the 52nd minute. Allison then denied Jones with a superb save to keep Town in it and by the wholesale substitutions saw the introduction of Pennington, Williams and Jones.

The spirit certainly increased and Pennington went close with an overhead volley while Williams 'passing looked inventive but it was not to be, the damage having been done in the first half.

This Saturday Town travel to Atherton Collieries before facing a mid-week semi-final away leg of the Floodlit Trophy at either Vauxhall GM or Castleton.

Town's Lanes Trophies man of the match Steve O'Neill.

Numbers draw in Town weekly lottery were 2, 4, 7, 8, 10 and 16. There were no winners and a new draw for £680 on numbers 1-17 takes place on Sunday.

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