IT'S been a sad time for the St Helens Combination.

First members were stunned by the untimely death of one of its youngest players, 16-year-old Alec Byrne, from Sutton Leach. He had great potential and played for Green Dragon FC in Division Two of the Combination.

And the older players and management officials in the Combination were also saddened to learn of the passing of Gordon Seabrook - the popular ex-player and ex-secretary of Pilkingtons FC.

Gordon had been in ill-health for some time and his presence among the footballing fraternity of the town will be sadly missed.

The heartfelt sympathies of the Combination's management and the full playing contingent, go out to both families

On a happier note the Combination came away from Leigh's Hilton Park with a 4-2 win over Leigh and District League. But their all-round display certainly did them no credit. Leigh although showing grit and determination, were certainly second best when it came to footballing abilities, but St Helens made the task easy for them by a lack of determination and commitment from players of apparent higher skills.

St Helens took an early lead with a John Grady special, but within three minutes, Leigh equalised after a slack defensive blunder. In fact, keeper John Chisnall, had to show his prowess several times in one-on-one situations. Eventually the St Helens fans hearts were lifted just before the interval when Shane Callaghan made it 2-1. After the interval, Leigh, realising that they were in with a chance took over for a while and gave the Combination some anxious moments. Substitutions, though, very often made a difference, and fresh legs did for the Combination. Paul Thomas and Gary Ball were perfect examples and gradually lie came back to the St Helens outfit but it only paid dividends after 80 minutes when Gary Ball made it 3-1, even then Leigh came back to reduce the arrears, but Ball made the game safe with an 88th minute face-saver. Best for the Combination were keeper John Chisnall, Mike Pilkington, Shane Callaghan and Grattan Hill. In the Garswood Trophies Hospital Cup Eccleston United were taken in extra time by Bowling Green before going through 3-2 with a last-gasp goal. Gavin Scott (2) and Dean Jordan scoring and Lee Taylor plus Ian Bingley replying.

George Lee (2) and Neil Besters are the toasts of Rainford as their goals put Division Three side Red Star through against Division One Nutgrove.

Pilks Reserves (Barrie Devlin 2, Mark Hardman, Ben Chadwick) settled their tie versus Haresfinch Social 4-1 after extra time. Steve Huckle and Chris Marsh goals gave Penlake a 2-1 win over Sportsmans Athletic. Rainford North End have no excuses for their 2-5 exit at Ruskin Drive by College St Helens, goals coming from Woodcroft (2), Furlong (2) and a Williams penalty. Child Reserves (Atherton (2), Jeffers, and Phil Burton) gave Prescot Leisure Reserves a 4-0 hammering at The Holt. In Rainford Potteries Cup First leg games in their semi-finals Clock Face Miners Reserves (Donavon and John Davock) beat Carr Mill Reserves 2-1 but the Pilkingtons A versus Rainford North End Reserves game ended in a 1-1 draw. In League games, Dave Jacks (4) and Dave Fenney (3) rattled in goals for Junction in a high scoring 7-5 win at West Bank. Billinge had a 3-1 home win over Meek but Travellers Rest went under 6-4 at Sidac Social (C Pilling (2), S Pilling (2) S McKeegan and A Eaton).

In a hastily organised game the Combinations under 18s squad will visit Edge Hill College ground to play Southport and District league this Saturday in the Liverpool CFA Championship Round One.

The squad is I Brynion (Railway Rangers), J Brobyn (York), A Greenall, S Abbott (Penlake), D Baker (Kendricks Cross), D Oakes (Gerard Arms), S Latham, C Baker (Child), M Welding, G Taylor, N Zacharides (East Sutton Labour), S McKeegan, D Eaton (Sidac Social), M haw, J Harper (Hardshaw Argyle), D Webster (College St Helens). Players are asked to meet at noon at Birchley Street, St Helens on Saturday November 27. RESULTS

Hospital Cup Third Round: Eccleston United 3 Bowling Green 2 (aet), Red Star Rainford 3 Nutgrove 2, Pilkington Reserves 4 Haresfinch Social 1 (aet), Penlake Juniors 2 Sportsmans FC 1, College of St Helens 5 Rainford North End 2, Child Reserves 4 Prescot Leisure Reserves 0.

Rainford Potteries Cup: Clock Face Miners Reserves 2 Carr Mill Reserves 1, Pilkington A 1 Rainford North End Reserves 1.

Division One: West Bank 5 Junction FC 7, Billinge FC 3 Meek FC 1, Sidac Social 6 Travellers Rest 4.

Division Two: Bull and Dog 1 Green Dragon 0, Top Nogs FC 2 Gerard Arms Reserves 3, Earlestown 4 Kendricks Cross 1, Broad Oak 7 Billinge Reserves 5.

Division Three: Grosvenor Park 0 Bewsey FC 1, Leach Lane 0 East Sutton Reserves 2, Cowley Hill Park 0 Railway Rangers 4, Trees FC 1 Hardshaw Argyle 4.

Sunday

Hatton Travel Cup Round Two: Owens Corning 3 Ex Services (Rainhill 5 (aet), East Sutton Labour 2 Penlake 3, Rose and Crown 6 Bleak Hill Rovers 5 (aet), York 4 Victoria (Rainhill) 0.

Sunday Division: Bispham Celtic 6 Sutton Heath Panthers 2.

St Helens Star Premier Division: Carr Mill FC v Rainford North End (D Deluce), Pilkington Reserves v Old Congs (P Hughes), East Sutton Labour v Carborundum (R Deakin), Child Reserves v Haresfinch Social (C Hulme), Gerard Arms v Prescot Leisure (M Cammack), Penlake Juniors v Shoe FC (D Forber).

Division One: Sidac Social v Eccleston United (A Burrows), Meek FC v Nutgrove (G O'Brien), Clock Face Miners v West Bank (E Johnson), Billinge FC v Travellers Rest (K Taylor), Junction v Sportsmans (G parsonage.

Division Two: Green Dragon v Billinge Reserves (N Williams), Earlestown v Bull and Dog (D Allen), Broad Oak v Pilkington A (E Baines), Gerard Reserves v Kendricks Cross (M Graham), Top Nogs v Clock Face Reserves (J Rennie).

Division Three: Railway Rangers v Grosvenor Park (B Dixon), Red Star Rainford v East Sutton Reserves (P Russell), Cowley Hill Park v College St Helens (H Nulty), Leach Lane v Carr Mill Reserves (N McLean), Rainford North End Reserves v Hardshaw Argyle (G Barker), Bewsey FC v Trees FC (C Tunstall).

Liverpool CFA under 18 Inter-league: Southport and District League v St Helens Combination at Edge Hill College, Ormskirk kick off 1.30pm.

Sunday Division: Bleak Hill Rovers v Victoria Rainhill (M Hallwood), East Sutton Labour v Sutton Heath Panthers (T German), Ex Services Rainhill v Racing Rovers (E Johnson), Owens Corning v York (N Williams), Penlake v Bispham Celtic (J Goodwin), Rose & Crown v Brown Edge (D Forber).

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