St Helens Town 4 AFC Darwen 2 (Macron Challenge Cup).

St Helens Town fought back from conceding two goals inside the opening six minutes to take full control against their Premier Division opponents to earn a Macron Challenge Cup Second Round tie at Eccleshall on 29 October and four new signings were at the forefront of their performance, especially man-of-the-match former Atherton LR striker Stuart McDonald who scored a brace himself and set up another for captain Andy Gillespie, who scored the other two.

Town have a rather poor record in the former NW Counties League Challenge Cup in recent years, with only one semi-final appearance back in 2010, when they went down to an early goal at Winsford and the early signs on Saturday were not encouraging as an alarming gap opened up in defence, leaving Darwen forward Nicolas Hepple a clear run from half-way to slot home past Town’s Australian debutant keeper Gage Walsh after only two minutes. The visitors doubled their lead on six minutes when Conor Gaul fired home impressively from a tight angle on the right side of the Town box.

Gradually, Town began to tighten their defence and put together a number of attacking opportunities at the other end and, in the 24th minute, a cross from Gillespie set up McDonald, who could only scoop the ball over the bar with the Darwen keeper beaten. However, it was not long before St. Helens scored and new wingman Luke Edwards provided the ball for McDonald to nod down for Gillespie to head in for the first goal on the half-hour. Then, three minutes before the break, Town drew level when Danny Greene provided an inch-perfect cross from the right wing for McDonald to volley home in great style to send the teams in at 2-2.

Just into the second-half, Andy Presho was cautioned for a late tackle, but this did nothing to spoil Town’s rhythm. After 67 minutes, they took the lead for the first time in the tie, Greene serving up another magnificent cross from wide out for Gillespie to head home powerfully and, four minutes from the end, McDonald scored his second.

He set off on a barnstorming run 30 yards out, took on the centre half, turned him inside out, then went around the keeper and finally defied the lunge of the last remaining defender to bury the ball into the empty net.

He even had time to produce another fine effort which narrowly missed the far post, which might have given him a debut hat-trick. With McDonald and Gillespie up front in partnership, this could well prove to be a very fruitful liaison.

Town will be waiting anxiously this week to see if they can get the League Management Committee’s decision to use the new ground at Ruskin Drive before the car park and on-site changing rooms and other facilities are ready, thereby bringing the new ground into use before Christmas.

The next home game, against Carlisle City, on Saturday 15th October, has had to be moved to Atherton Collieries’ Alder House ground, as Prescot Cables are at home that day and Town’s next scheduled home game is the following week, 22nd October against Chadderton.

The next fixture is on Saturday, 8th October, away to unbeaten Alsager Town, followed by a midweek trip to struggling AFC Blackpool on Tuesday, 11 October.

Both these games are always stiff tasks, against sides relegated last season, but Town will be buoyed by an undefeated run of four games and in influx of quality new players.