ST HELENS Town surrendered their unbeaten four-match run at Alsager on Saturday, going down 3-1 to the side many reckon will finish top of the table at the end of the season, but the final score did scant justice to the effort Town put in to the match and, with a little more self-belief, they could have taken something back to Merseyside with them.

The visitors were totally dominant for the first fourteen minutes of the match, which saw Paul Cliff make his second debut for the club after an absence of six seasons.

Captain Andy Gillespie produced a marvellous strike, which home keeper Chris Fletcher did well to tip around his right hand post after 12 minutes and it seemed only a matter of time until St. Helens took the lead.

However, the game turned on its head within two minutes as Alsager broke upfield and a seemingly innocuous ball in from the right was flicked into the net by Josh Glover for the opening goal and for the remainder of the half, the home side were allowed to exert complete control, their tall defenders snuffing out Town’s attack and the only chance on goal resulted in the hard-working Stuart McDonald being brought down from behind in the penalty box and his appeal for a spot kick was summarily waved away by referee Kevin Kay.

Alsager extended their lead in the 35th minute following the award of a penalty kick of their own, Ste Rigby tried hard to get in a tackle on an Alsager forward on the edge of the box, failed to get his man and followed through from behind with the eyes of the referee fixed on him.

Mark Grice planted the spot kick hard and low, giving Gage Walsh no chance.

Five minutes later, Walsh came out to the edge of his box to intercept a cross, but found Grice in possession and the centre-forward side-stepped him and finished in great style into the top corner of Walsh’s net, which would have given the Australian keeper no chance wherever he had positioned himself.

Three goals down starting the second half, St Helens were given licence by the unbeaten home side to do as they liked and try as they might, the visitors simply could not score. Gillespie had one great chance as Fletcher was stranded out of his goal, but failed to take advantage and McDonald was clean through only to fire right at the Alsager keeper who was by some way the home side’s man of the match.

The home defence were dominant, by hook or by crook, blocking shots left right and centre, whereas a lack of self-belief and perhaps too much respect for the opposition contributed to a repeated breakdown of creativity on the part of Town’s midfield, but there were hardworking performances from recent signings Stuart McDonald and Luke Edwards and McDonald was rewarded for his persistence in the final minute with a consolation goal from the penalty spot after being unceremoniously upended by centre-half Paul Taylor.

There will be less difficult games ahead for Town to get back on the winning trail, hopefully in the coming weeks. Next up are Carlisle City at home on Saturday, the fixture having been transferred to Atherton Collieries’ Alder House ground, kick-off 3pm, followed by a Tuesday night trip down the Wrexham by-pass to take on FC Oswestry Town who share the impressive TNS ground, well worth the journey for a 7.45pm kick-off.

The home game against Chadderton, due for 22nd October, has been cancelled, due to Chadderton being involved in the FA Vase and Town will now travel to face Bacup Borough in a re-arranged league game.