IN a week of contrasting fortunes, St Helens Town snatched three vital points from Widnes in a rousing finale on Tuesday night at Brocstedes Park, in a game they looked likely to lose for most of the second half, only to turn in a poor performance, going down 3-0 to new club Stockport Town on Saturday.

Tuesday’s first half was a very even affair, with neither side in control.

However, Town took the lead in the 10th minute, in spectacular fashion.

Declan Gregson took the ball down the left flank and played a quick one-two with Andy Gillespie, before firing in a strong shot, which the Widnes defence could not clear and Jack Golding, seizing upon the loose ball, drove hard against visiting keeper Ben Morrow, who was unable to prevent it from crossing the line.

Widnes were soon level, Alex Davies netting on 14 minutes, but the best chance in the period up to half-time fell to Golding again on the half hour, Jack Marshall carving open the defence on the left before setting up the midfielder, but his shot went just to the side of the right post.

The visitors took advantage of slack defence two minutes into the second half and Luke Edwards slotted home a free kick to put Widnes 2-1 ahead.

From that point onwards, Widnes took the initiative, with strong defence stifling the Town midfield, cutting off the supply to leading scorer Gillespie up front.

Something special was needed and, not for the first time, the substitutions were to prove the key to turning the game around.

First Marcus Perry replaced Charlie Duke and his direct running style began to test the Widnes resolve.

Several hefty challenges were made as Tom Mitchell and Brian Strutz-Ravelli in particular found the injection of pace hard to cope with and a minor set-to between Gillespie and the latter led to yellow cards for both players.

With Widnes beginning to look a little stretched, Ste Rigby and Warren Twist entered the fray and vital openings began to emerge. Town levelled the score at 2-2 with fifteen minutes remaining after Gregson’s corner found Johann du Toit running in at the far post and his pin-point header flew into the top of the net and, having thrown the proverbial kitchen sink at the visitors in the closing exchanges, Gillespie scored his 13th goal of the campaign when he forced the ball over the line through a crowd of Widnes defenders with less than a minute remaining.

The trip to Lambeth Grove on Saturday saw St Helens in a totally different light.

Frustratingly, their hosts, new this season to the NW Counties League, were little better and, although they went ahead after only 6 minutes, Ben Brooks seizing on to a back-heeled pass to send Graham McLoughlin the wrong way in the Town goal, there was virtually nothing between the sides until Sam Scott (70) and Sean Mills (82) added late goals to seal the win.

All St. Helens had to show were two weak shots from Andy Gillespie, who could not quite get hold of the ball with sufficient force to test Aaron Ashley in the Stockport net.

Holker Old Boys are the visitors to Brocstedes Park on Saturday afternoon, 3pm start, before Town travel to Bootle on Tuesday evening for a Liverpool Senior Cup tie (kick-off 7.45pm).