FC St Helens rounded off the year with a 2-1 victory on the road at Golborne Sports, to make it five wins and a draw in their last six games in the Hallmark Cheshire League One.

The hosts came out the blocks fast and the Reds young starting 11 — with an average age of 21 — weathered an early aerial onslaught, with MoM Mick Houghton calmly excelling once more in defence.

As the half wore on the FC game plan of play deep and use pace on the break paid dividends, as a well worked attack midway in the first half saw Morgan Dearden bag his 3rd of the season at the back post.

The second half was much the same with difficult conditions including fog and a heavy pitch dictating the flow the of the game.

However the resilient nature of the side - evidenced by only four league defeats in 2016 — shone through and a well deserved second courtesy of Paul Sweeney came after great work by Adam Worthington and the relentless Jordan Smith.

The clean sheet was not to be as Golborne finally mustered up a chance that beat Brinksman in the FC goal, in time added on. However a hard earned three points made their way back to St Helens to leave the club fourth.