ST Helens Town took the trip to Staffordshire visiting league leaders Hanley Town on Saturday and fell to a narrow defeat but will think that they should have returned with at least a share of the spoils that their performance merited.

With the cancellation of the forthcoming midweek home match against Stockport Town, Town see themselves in a third of the way through an extended road trip which sees them have six consecutive away contests before hosting Ashton Town on Easter Monday and this will have been flagged up as the hardest of these trips.

The pitch had passed a 10am inspection but with the recent wet weather and snowfall the surface was always going to be heavy and in some places boggy but credit must go to Hanley for getting the game on.

The early stages saw little in terms of noteworthy action as both sides who wanted to get the ball down and play football tried to get to grips with the playing surface.

The visitors playing two upfront with George Lomax partnering skipper Andy Gillespie looked comfortable in possession and had the first real chance of the contest with 28 minutes on the watch a previous attack had been halted at the cost of a corner and this was sent into the box from the right by Ellis Mavers, Lomax rose unmarked at the far post and looked to be opening the scoring but he was unable to steer his effort on target and a golden chance was spurned.

The deadlock was broken four minutes later when a fine move saw Todd Blayney link with Mavers and he fed the ball to Gillespie on the right of the box his attempted cut back was blocked by a Hanley defender but the loose ball broke to Mavers on the edge of the box and he took a touch before curling a shot into the top left hand corner of the net past the despairing dive of Joe Hemmings in the home goal.

Hanley hit back quickly and the lead was to last less than two minutes.

An attack down the left saw Matt German advance before sending a cross to the far post where it was collected by the unmarked Martin Stayner and he poked home to level matters.

In the closing stages of the first period both sides had chances to take the lead, the first fell to the hosts from a corner.

Theo Stair sent the ball into the box from the right and the ball was half cleared being collected by Josh Thorpe who tried his luck from the edge of the box the effort left St Helens stopper Mathew Hodge with no chance but Ste Rugby was well placed to clear the ball off the line.

At the other end Lomax created an opening on the right of the Hanley box and he tried his luck from 20 yards but the well struck effort was held by Hemmings and the sides went in level at the interval.

Hanley came out after the break with renewed vigour and St Helens had to stay solid to keep scores level as they looked to ride this storm out.

A right wing corner for the hosts was headed over by Stanyer and with the hour mark approaching the pressure paid as Hanley took the lead. Curtis Evans was allowed time and space to cross from the right and this was headed away as far as Stair 15 yards from goal and he drilled an effort into the bottom right hand corner of the net.

St Helens had plenty of possession and in some good areas but a quality final ball was lacking on too many occasions.

Gillespie pinched the ball from a defender and looked to play in striker partner Lomax but the ball held up on a particularly heavy part of the pitch and the ball drop short of him and allowed the hosts the clear.

Hanley were reduced to 10 men with less than ten minutes to play and in the most petulant style. Substitute Oliver Edwards showed dissent after a free kick was awarded to the visitors and as he was being shown the yellow card for this offence he sarcastically clapped at the referees decision and was shown a second yellow and dismissed.

As time ran out Stair had an effort well saved by Hodge in the St Helens goal as the visitors pressed looking to level and gain a share of the spoils but the hosts held firm and claimed all the points to cement their position at the summit of the table.

Going forward if St Helens Town turn in performances like this week in week out they will be a threat to gain a berth in the play-offs come the end of April as they look to regain their Premier Division status.

Town are next in action this Saturday, 12 March when they take the relatively short trip the Select Security Stadium to take on Widnes Hanley Town with a 2pm kick off before taking the long trip to Barrow-in-Furness the following Tuesday 15th March with a 7.45pm kick off.