Great Harwood 1 St Helens Town 1 THIS weekend and the following Tuesday, Town wrap up a marathon slog of away games with visits to Mossley in the league challenge cup and Leek CSOB in a league game, making a total of six successive games away from Hoghton Road.

Despite this however, the sequence has seen them unbeaten and two draws last week coupled with two previous victories is a good return on opponents soil at any level.

And if Town can capitalise on their home games in December they could be making a serious challenge as they turn into the millennium.

Following a midweek 1-1 result at Maine Road where Bryan Griffiths got the St Helens goal it was on to Great Harwood on Saturday where he was on target again but an unfortunate error by Town keeper Hollywood allowed the hosts back into the game at a time when Town were threatening to take complete command.

Despite facing a troublesome sunset, Great Harwood started the better on a bumpy pitch and forced a couple of corner kicks which Kirwan headed to safety but the dubious surface almost embarrassed Town keeper Hollywood in the 16th minute when a wicked bobble saw him slice Dooner's back pass into Lightbown's path but a hasty ground shot passed wide of the post from 25 yards.

Town's Laird then sent a looping back header towards the top corner but keeper Morrey adjusted to make a safe catch and send his side away on the break with their best move to date, involving Lightbown and Aspinall swapping passes at pace up the left before the former shot wide.

With just 30 seconds of the half left, Town took the lead with Bickerstaffe the architect with another forceful run from deep which got him into the area on the left where Pickup's trip brought a penalty which Bryan Griffiths crashed home. Town set about doubling their advantage upon the resumption and Laird was unlucky when the ball ran just too far after chesting between two converging defenders before Bickerstaffe powered in from the right to send a useful 20 yarder just wide. Just as it seemed another goal would set Town firmly on their way to three points, Great Harwood broke to face a corner as Phoenix headed over his own crossbar and from the flag kick, Hollywood seemed to go down prematurely to Browns long range header resulting in a fumble which was swept in by Martin Aspinall in the 55th minute.again

Town are involved in the First North Western Trains league cup tie of the round at Mossley on Saturday kick off 3pm (coach noon). Travel arrangements to Leek on Tuesday will be on the club information line 817225 from Sunday.

Lottery numbers 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, (No winners). This week £650 (numbers 1- 16).

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