CHIEFS at St Helens Town say the club's return home will garnish community identity again, writes Mike Parsons.

The borough's Hallmark Security League One club will play a first league game in the town for seven years when Abbey Hulton United visit their new Ruskin Sports Village facility tonight, Thursday, kick-off 7.45pm.

Town's new home has received temporary clearance to stage games of this level as Saturday's ground grading inspection confirmed further work is needed to meet league standards.

But focus tonight is on hosting a successful home opener to the 2017-18 campaign.

Town, under new manager Lee Jenkinson following Alan Gillespie's surprise departure last week, will go into the game on the back of a 2-0 loss at New Mills on Saturday.

Jenkinson said: "There's a positive vibe and sense of excitement around returning to the town after a number of years away.

"The team will have stability, playing all their home games at a ground we can call home and playing back in St Helens.

"We can attract local people and this can only be a positive thing for the whole community and I'm really looking forward to the season ahead."

The last home league game played by Town in St Helens was at Knowsley Road on August 24, 2010, when they lost 3-2 to Congleton Town.

Much has changed since, including the presence of housing on the site of the former St Helens RLFC venue.

At the time, Town, who were in the North West Counties Premier Division until the end of the 2014-15 campaign, ended up playing a number of fixtures at Atherton Collieries' base.

Then Town spent nearly three years ground sharing at Ashton Town, three years at Ashton Athletic and then last season at Prescot Cables.

Chairman Glyn Jones said: "It's been a real struggle these past seven years playing out of town, in terms of retaining local players, sponsors and spectators.

"Now, with a local base and decent, modern facilities, it should be easier to bring in people from the St Helens area who will begin to feel part of the club again and with increased crowds and reasonable success, we can move the club forward and start to build for the future."

Abbey Hulton recorded an opening 2-1 win at Daisy Hill on Saturday, so they will be no pushovers tonight.

Town are hoping the benefit of a big crowd on their side for this historic occasion at Ruskin Drive will be to their advantage.