ST HELENS Town won on Saturday, for the first time since November, beating Maine Road 2-0 and, should they beat Silsden at home on Tuesday evening, kick-off at 7.45pm, they will preserve their NW Counties Premier Division status; lose or even draw and they will be relegated.

It will be remembered that Town opened the season with a 2-1 win at Brantingham Road, so this win gave them a creditable “double” over their Manchester opponents, but they had to fight hard for their victory. Both teams fielded rather youthful elevens and for most of the first half, there was little between the sides.

However, in the last ten minutes of the half, Town exerted significant pressure and the chances began to come.

First, on 35 minutes, a long ball launched from midfield was headed on by the referee, who inadvertently set up Marcus Perry who wrong-footed goalkeeper Ryan Livesey and appeared only to have to guide the ball into the empty net when, suddenly, full-back James Flynn got in a last-ditch tackle to save a certain goal.

Maine Road’s luck ran out on 40 minutes when, from a cross by Jack Golding, James Rushton-Woods’ fierce shot through a forest of legs took a wicked deflection and spun into the net, just beyond the reach of Livesey and, two minutes later, St Helens increased their lead to 2-0 after Rushton-Woods provided a pass for Perry to bury the ball deep in the visitors’ net.

The second half saw Town tighten their grip on the game and with Rory Crowther solid between the sticks and the defence and midfield working hard to restrict Maine Road to few opportunities, it was only a question of how results were unfolding elsewhere.

As it was, AFC Blackpool and Bacup & Rossendale Borough held out for wins but, crucially, Barnoldswick Town lost 1-0 at Runcorn Town, the East Lancashire side completing their fixtures just two points clear of St. Helens.

Town will therefore escape relegation if they beat Silsden on Tuesday but any other result may yet open the door for Bacup to climb above them, demoting St. Helens to last position.

The “wooden spoon” must be avoided at all costs, for the bottom club will certainly go down, but the demise of Norton United, last season’s NW Counties Champions, coupled with the voluntary demotion of Brigg Town and Rainworth Miners Welfare from the Evo-Stik League One South, may yet open the door for a reprieve for the team finishing in next-to-last place, but such possibilities remain uncertain for the time being and the only sure outcome is for Town to beat Silsden on Tuesday evening.

If the team play as they did on Saturday, with all eleven sticking manfully to their task, the three points should be theirs and the club’s Premier Division status preserved.