JUST when normality seemed to have settled in for St. Helens Town, with a run of three games unbeaten, including away wins against the top two in the table, they lost their unbeaten run in seven spectacular minutes at Atherton Laburnum Rovers on Saturday, against a side who had collapsed 8-0 on Bank Holiday Monday against new club City of Liverpool.

And all that after Town had coasted into an easy lead and spurned several chances to go several goals clear.

Playing at “home” at Prescot on Thursday, renewing league rivalries for the first time since the Lancashire Combination days of the early 1970s, Town took on Prestwich Heys and went behind to a Paul Tierney goal in the 13th minute, but then rallied to equalise through Phil Williams after 32 minutes.

St Helens then looked the stronger of the teams and took a deserved lead with a Chris Lomax goal seven minutes after the break and looked the likely winners before the Manchester side levelled the scores when Shaun Johnson netted with eight minutes left and a draw was overall a fair result.

For the first time this season, Saturday produced heavy rain and the sloping Crilly Park pitch held a definite advantage for Town in the first half.

Atherton, still smarting from their 8-0 drubbing at Bootle’s ground on Monday, looked hesitant in defence and defending at the bottom of the slope looked decidedly difficult, especially when it came down to turning.

St Helens, on the other hand, looked full of goals, although Andy Gillespie could only manage a place on the bench on his return from America.

Danny Greene scored a spectacular goal after 23 minutes, seizing on a defensive mistake and there were two other chances to score, Sam Sheen cutting through before hitting a post with keeper Robert Sadler hopelessly stranded. However, against the run of play, a cross under pressure skidded off Matty Hodge’s glove into his own net in the 35th minute and this gave LR hope.

Order was restored three minutes from the break when George Lomax finished coolly to send Town in 2-1 ahead and, soon after the teams emerged, the visitors tore loose again, the Lomax brothers seering through the home defence, drawing the last defender and it seemed inevitable one or other would score, but Sadler pulled off an excellent save.

For all the chances Town had, not for the first time this season, they should have been over the hills and far away, but the game was turned on its head in seven unexpected minutes.

Centre forward Stuart McDonald suddenly started to get the run of the ball and it was the Town back three (subsequently reorganised to a back four) who looked in trouble on the difficult surface.

He supplied the ball for Adam Owens to chip Hodge for the equaliser on the hour, then it was McDonald again who found Andy Millar on the edge of the box and the conditions played no small part in the tackle which led to LR’s penalty which Millar despatched to give his side the lead in the 63rd minute.

Then, when McDonald himself slotted the ball into Hodge’s bottom corner four minutes later, his side where home and dry at 4-2.

Even the introduction of Gillespie proved futile as Atherton played as if their lives depended on it and Town were left to wonder how (and not for the first time since relegation) they failed to convert their chances and bury their opponents before losing their way.

Town’s next game is against Chadderton at Prescot on Saturday in the FA Vase First Round Qualifying, the winners to go through to play Maltby Main or Widnes away in the Second Round Qualifying on 24th September.

They return to league action on Thursday next, 15th September, also at Prescot, with a home match against Widnes.