Holker OB 1 St Helens Town 4 A ROARING start and a big finish wrapped up three more points for Town.

But in between they huffed and puffed around a situation which was always theirs for the taking. Subs Glen Walker and Paul Clarke will remember this one as both scored in the closing stages as if to illustrate to their colleagues just how it should be done.

Playing up the slope and into a strong wind Town opened with menace and home keeper Slater had to hold Stamper's drive beneath the bar in the first minute and the momentum continued until the St Helens opener in the ninth minute. Steve Pennington was the scorer from close range after Hill, Stamper and Williams had played their part via a quick free-kick.

Grateful for some respite and a chance to get into the game Holker settled and on 14 minutes were given an equaliser when Blundell seemed to have cleared the danger but colleague Graham played a rash pass back into trouble and away went Mark Hetherington to go clear and accept the 'gift'. It could have got worse had Reilly not deflected a point blanker over the bar before no one picked up Dixon overlapping on the right to volley Livingston's deep free-kick just over.

Gradually, Town awoke from their slumbers and a Hill-Stamper link produced a lob by Pennington which was only inches too high. Now with the elements in their favour Town set about wrapping up affairs and Blundell was unfortunate to have a goal ruled out for pushing when his 50th minute power header flashed home. Next Hill's crisp ground shot just evaded the upright but as time ticked on and a goal didn't come, frustration began to creep in. So much so that Holker almost went ahead in the 67th minute in a rare break but Lockley fired into the side net after rounding Allison's excursion way out of goal. Five minutes later Holker were spared when Stamper blazed widely over and with the clock approaching seventy five minutes Holker seemed to be hanging on for an unlikely point.

Therefore the relief was great when Steve Pennington supported Williams' fine run and cross to turn the ball inside the far post and with the pressure now off Town played some excellent relaxed football to give the final score a truer slant when first Glenn Walker fired home with Jones and Stamper the architects in the 87th minute before 90 seconds later a cool chip over keeper Slater's advance gave Paul Clarke his first goal for the club with Jones again doing the spadework.

Bank Holiday weekend sees Town entertain Ramsbottom United on Saturday kick off at Hoghton Road in 3pm then on holiday Monday they travel to to Leek CSOB.

Numbers drawn in Town's weekly lottery were 2, 9, 10, 13, 15 and 16. There were no winners and a new draw for £800 takes place on numbers 1-17 this weekend.

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