ST HELENS Town travelled down the Rainford Bypass to face Bickerstaffe AFC in the last 16 of the Liverpool County Cup with high hopes.

However, the Mid Lancs Premier Division outfit who have been league leaders for most of the season had other ideas and triumphed 3-0.

Town started well enough however an inexplicable penalty decision from the referee when Andy Cook accidentally collided with an opposition player 15 yards away from the ball set Town an uphill task.

The penalty was dispatched by Thomas Smith.

In fact the Lancs outfit almost immediately had a second however Kyle Rugg was off his line quickly to prevent Smith's lobbed effort from putting 'Staffe' 2 0 up. Town shook off this early shock and were starting to look the stronger of the two teams.

Town threatened to equalise with Tom Jackson going close but it was Bickerstaffe who would break against the run of play for left winger Smyth to calmly put Bickerstaffe 2-0 up despite the best efforts of Williams and Garrett who had chased back valiantly.

Town top scorer Liam Diggle and Dale Whitehead came on at half time with Diggle rattling the woodwork from a tight angle and Whitehead going close with a clever low free kick and if either chance had gone in it may have been a different story but that was as close as Town came.

Bickerstaffe would score again on the break as Thomas Smith got his second to put the tie beyond doubt.

Mike Newton nearly pulled one back late on with a powerful well placed header but it was not Town's day.

There were few bright spots on a rainy day for Town but the relentlessness of Liam Diggle upfront and the composure of youngster Max Buckley-Benbow in another performance that belied his years gave the travelling supporters something to be positive about for the coming weeks.