Saturday 19th September
Vodkat League Premier DivisionFormby 0-4 St Helens Town0-1; Rob Hanley 2 Minutes, 0-2; Rob Hanley 23 Minutes, 0-3; Graeme Mitchell 40 Minutes, 0-4; Graeme Mitchell 83 Minutes. A return to league action saw Town comfortably record a victory and rise back up the table into 5th position The visitors started how they meant to go on and took the lead after 86 seconds, a wonderful passing move saw Graeme and Phil Mitchell both have efforts blocked before the ball broke to Rob Hanley and the hitman made no mistake from the edge of the box curling the ball over the keeper and into the net. Formby spurned a quick chance to level matters when a right wing free kick was sent into the box and former Town man Tom Boden headed wide of the upright. It was then all the visitors as they took the game to the hosts and created numerous opportunities. Graeme Mitchell linked with Iain Dyson who opted to shoot from 25 yards when he could have played in Hanley and his shot went over the bar. Moments later the Mitchell’s linked with Phil taking a quick throw and releasing Graeme centrally in space but his effort from the edge of the box was well held. Next it was Hanley who had a chance as he headed a Phil Mitchell cross wide of the post before Mitchell himself had a central free kick held by Adam Judge in the home goal. Mark Evans was next to hit the target as Judge pushed his well taken free kick over the bar as Town’s players revelling in the space afforded to them seemed to be queuing up to try get on the scoresheet. After a quarter of an hour Hanley worked himself into a good position and found Phil Mitchell who was denied by an excellent close range save by Judge. The home stopper then made an error that almost cost his side a goal, he took a free kick around 6 yards from his goal line on the left wing halfway between the touchline and the left hand edge of the area, his scuffed clearance went straight to Graeme Mitchell who returned it with interest sending a first time curling goalwards, this effort struck the bottom of right hand upright with the keeper scrabbling to get back to his goal and went behind for a goal kick. Hanley was to double Town’s lead on 23 minutes when a will worked corner culminated in Phil Mitchell supplying the ball to Hanley on the front post and he guided the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the net with an astute finish. Phil Mitchell almost made it 3-0 on 28 minutes when he made an excellent run and unleashed a shot from the edge of the box which Judge did well to keep out. A set piece on 34 minutes caused problems in the Formby area as a right wing corner was sent deep into the box and keeper Judge came to collect but failed to do so and the loose ball dropped to Dougie Pitts who volleyed over the bar. Before the interval the visitors netted a third and all but secured a maximum return from the match. It came from a short corner worked between Evans & Phil Mitchell with the latter supplying the ball to his brother Graeme who headed home on the front post. The start of the second half was Town a little lethargic and Formby had plenty of possession but failed to trouble the visitors’ goal, Graeme McCall was to have probably his quietest afternoon in between the sticks for St Helens Town. The visitors got back into their stride around the hour mark when Hanley and Phil Mitchell linked, the latter shooting just over the bar. A couple of minutes later it was brother Graeme’s turn to shoot over this time after collecting the rebound from his brothers shot his overhead kick sailed over the target. On 66 minutes Graeme Mitchell was harshly denied his second of the match when he collected a through ball beat his marker and lobbed over Judge from the edge of the box only to be denied by an offside flag when he looked easily onside when the ball was played. Mitchell was to have the last laugh however as on 83 minutes he beat Paddy O’Driscoll for pace and was pulled back in the area by the defender for a penalty. Skipper Dyson stepped up to take the spot kick and struck it powerfully to the right of the keeper but Judge guessed the right way and blocked the initial effort the ball broke to Graeme Mitchell who from a tight angle dinked the ball over the prostrate keeper into the net to round off a resounding victory for Town. Formby; Judge, Jay McKane(Page 75), Malley(Crowder 80), Boden(C), Roberts, O’Driscoll, Joe McKane, Edwards, Williams(Jackson 70), Thompson, Hopkins. Sub Not Used; Martin. St Helens Town; McCall, Elias, Evans(McLoughlin 76), Kay, Pitts, Frazer, Dyson(c)(Jones 84), Stephens, Hanley(Scully 80), G.Mitchell, P.Mitchell. Subs Not Used; Gilchrist, Woods.
Saturday 12th SeptemberFA Cup, 1st Qualifying RoundCammell Laird 3-1 St Helens Town1-0; Josh Thompson 17 Minutes, 2-0; Josh Thompson 22 Minutes, 3-0; Josh Thompson 67 Minutes, 3-1; Rob Hanley 81 Minutes. Town’s road to Wembley ended in Birkenhead as the visitors turned in a poor display and went down against their Unibond League hosts. The visitors had plenty of the early possession and an early opening saw John Elias find Rob Hanley who beat his defender and the offside trap before attempting an angled shot which the home custodian parried and then claimed the loose ball. Cammell Laird rocked the visitors when they took the lead on 17 minutes, a goal kick was collected by Ged King on the left wing and he played a long diagonal ball over the top of the Town backline which found Josh Thompson 1on1 with Graeme McCall and he made no mistake slotting home into the bottom left hand corner of the net. On 20 minutes a throw by Chris Burke was collected by Hanley and he linked with Iain Dyson collecting the return ball on the left of the penalty area and curling an effort just over the bar. Laird’s made it 2-0 on 22 minutes when King linked with Ian Cooke centrally and he played the ball over the top towards Thompson and with Town appealing for offside the striker 1on1 again with McCall this time lofted an effort over the stopper. Town thought they had halved the deficit a couple of minutes later when Elias found Hanley and the striker made no mistake lobbing over the advanced keeper only to be denied by the offside flag when he was comfortably onside as the ball was played. Less than 60 seconds later Stephens played in Hanley who pulled the ball back on the six yard line but the keeper claimed with Karl Ledsham in attendance. With the half almost over an excellent passing move culminated in Phil Mitchell’s shot over the bar, moments before the interval Hanley again had the ball in the back of the net only to see the flag incorrectly raised again.The half ended with Town two goals down and knowing they had a mountain to climb in the second period. The hosts had the first chance of the second half when Richie Foulkes sent a free kick wide of the left hand post and the visitors proceeded to take control of the game attempting to net and give themselves a chance of redemption. Elias worked the ball to Graeme Mitchell on the edge of the area and his touch broke to brother Phil whose effort went wide of the left upright. With the hour approaching Hanley chased down a lost cause and pulled it back from the by-line towards Graeme Mitchell his initial effort was well blocked and he collected the rebound and fed Ledsham on the edge of the box but his well struck effort went over the bar. Cammell Lairds scored a third against the run of play to effectively put the game beyond the visitors when they earned a corner and Thompson who was probably the smallest player on the park rose to head home in the Town box. Town pulled a goal back on 81 minutes when a quick throw from Mark Evans was played forwards by Ledsham and Phil Mitchell on the edge of the area and he flicked towards Hanley who took a touch with his left before firing home with his right but it was too little too late and some poor defending cost Town dearly allowing Lairds to take the tie rather than having to work to win it. Cammell Laird; Whiteside, Cass, Lynch, Courtenay, Atherton(Gardner 63), Collins(C), King(Loughlin 68), Foulkes, Cooke(Young 41), Thompson, Corrigan. Subs Not Used; Andrews, Adamson, Al’samurie, McGraa. St Helens Town; McCall, Elias, Burke(Jones 46), Kay, Pitts, Stephens(Evans 71), Dyson(C), Ledsham, Hanley, G.Mitchell(Frazer 71), P.Mitchell. Subs Not Used; Anders, J.Foster, C.Foster, Riley, Woods.
Saturday 5th September 2009FA Vase, 1st Qualifying RoundPadiham 4-3 St Helens Town1-0; Lee Morris 2 Minutes, 2-0; Brian Walsh 8 Minutes, 2-1; Martin Parkes (Own Goal) 15 Minutes, 3-1; Michael Morrison 45+1 Minutes, 3-2; Iain Dyson (Penalty) 62 Minutes, 4-2; Craig Williamson 68 Minutes, 4-3; Michael Scully 77 Minutes. There was a sense of déjà vu for St Helens Town as they exited the FA Vase at the first hurdle for the 4th season in a row. The omens were not good as Town gifted Padiham a goal start on 2 minutes when a loose ball across the back line from Mark Evans was picked up by Lee Morris and he found himself 1on1 with Graeme McCall and slotted home. Matters were made worse for Town on 8 minutes when a free kick from the edge of the box was curled around the wall and into the bottom right hand corner of the net by Brian Walsh to put the hosts two goals to the good. The quick-fire start was concluded on 15 minutes when with Karl Ledsham in attendance keeper Sean Davis struck his attempted clearance off his own man and the ball rebounded into the net to halve the deficit for Town. The visitors then enjoyed a purple patch, Phil Mitchell beat the keeper but not the woodwork with a free kick that struck the angle of the post and crossbar, struck the keeper on the back went behind for a corner. Iain Dyson was next to spurn a chance as he saw his header from a Phil Mitchell cross held by Davis. The final chance of the half for the visitors came on 35 minutes when Rob Hanley and Dyson linked on the edge of the box the latter rounded the keeper and was caught by the stopper as he looked to slot the loose ball into the unguarded net but no penalty was awarded and Craig Williamson cleared the loose ball. Padiham rocked Town before the interval, first they saw a goalbound effort from Michael Morrison was headed off the line by Dougie Pitts. In added on time Stuart Telfer got down the right too easily and centred for Michael Morrison to tap home on the far post. Town looked to get quickly back into the match at the start of the second period, early chances fell to Phil Mitchell as first he was thwarted by Davis and then after a good run he shot wide of the left hand upright. The visitors thought they were denied a stonewall penalty on 52 minutes when Ledsham and Hanley linked before the latter sent a cross to the far post where Dyson headed towards goal only for his effort to be deflected by an outstretched arm but Mr Anderson again deemed there to be no case to answer. The Mitchell’s were involved in the next two openings as first Graeme collected a through ball and saw his shot touched around the post before Phil saw a shot deflected before the breakthrough came as Phil beat his defender and got brought down in the box for a penalty, skipper Dyson stepped up and powered the ball centrally past the keeper to pull a goal back. The comeback was derailed some six minutes later as a left wing corner was sent into the box and Williamson turned the ball home on the far post to restore the two goal lead. Town had to chase the game and pressed forward in numbers, Phil Mitchell sent a left wing cross into the box which Hanley reacted quickly to and prodded the ball just wide of the upright. The game was back on after 77 minutes when Ledsham played a great ball to Phil Mitchell on the right edge of the box and his effort was spilled by the keeper allowing Michael Scully to poke the ball home. The game was getting stretched and Padiham almost netted again Nehru McKenzie linked with Morris with the striker only being denied by an excellent 1on1 save from McCall. Further Town pressure amounted to nothing as Phil Mitchell’s shot was well held and Hanley’s cross/shot went over the bar. Town almost took the game to extra time when in the third added minute a corner was half cleared and broke to Scully who sent a curling effort goalwards which beat the keeper and rebounded off the crossbar. So the hosts held on and advanced to the next round with Town again thwarted at the first stage in a tournament that they have a great affinity with having triumphed at Wembley in 1987. Padiham; Davis, Lee(Ridehalgh 74), Walsh, Walker(C), Williamson, Parkes, D.Morrison, McKenzie, M.Morrison(Taylor 46), Morris(Haworth 88), Telfer. Subs Not Used; Holt, Stanford. St Helens Town; McCall, Pitts, Evans(Scully 68), Kay, Burke, Stephens, Dyson(C), Ledsham, Hanley, G.Mitchell, P.Mitchell. Subs Not Used; Frazer, McLoughlin, Elias, Woods.
