St Helens Town 1 Holker OB 3 THIS Saturday, at the revised kick off time of 1pm, Town play their 52nd (and last) game of a season which has fallen short of expectations.

Relegation battlers Maine Road are the opposition and will be hoping to emulate the feat of partners in distress Holker last Saturday, who benefited from a St Helens horror show.

With their first choice strikeforce already sidelined ,Town were further disrupted by the absence of their midfield duo of Neil Shaw and Aidie Reilly. So boss Jimmy McBride had a major headache before a ball was kicked. In the circumstances he chose to be bold by giving fringe players their chance and changing the pattern, it was really his only option but the players let him down badly.

It all started well enough when Chris Walmesley drilled home a fifth minute opener after cutting inside from Matheson's pass then Browne's lack of awareness twice let Holker off the hook. The Barrow side, though, had the greater purpose and Allison had to get down smartly to a Curtis ground shot but they were on the ascending and levelled on 22 minutes when a skidding cross evaded Town's Kirwan, enabling Grant Cumberbatch to control and fire in off the upright.

Town's nightmare was now unfolding and the same man just ran out of angle minutes later and when Curtis shot narrowly over the bar the locals were grateful to reach the interval without further damage.

However, within seconds of the resumption Holker were ahead via a classic defensive clanger when both Lowe and Kirwan impeded each other in pursuit of the same ball and Cumberbatch ran clear to beat Allison.

On 63 minutes Town almost got on terms when a rebound from Lowe's drive fell invitingly for Bonner but Holker keeper Slater just got down in time with the shot wedging beneath his body. Sadly that was the last to be seen of a lifeless St Helens and it was no great shock when Holker's Martin Amison cracked home his side's third goal following a good pass from Brown on the left.

The rest was academic with Holker delighted with their relegation easing success while Town sunk as low as they've been this season with a virtual capitulation.

St Helens pride takes the national stage at Wembley this Saturday but it is hoped that some are still at home when Town bring down the curtain at Hoghton Road.

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