THE Combination's under 18s inter-league side failed in their bid to lift the Lancashire FA Trophy when they were beaten 6-2 in the final by South Lancs Counties.

Ironically, the Combination had beaten their Wigan-based rivals 6-1 earlier in the season and to add insult to injury, eight of the winners' squad were St Helens lads!

Graham Billinge and Mark Gavin scored the St Helens goals.

Meanwhile, the Combination is slowly getting to grips with the fixture chaos without yet having to play double-headers or unneccessary fixtures.

In midweek, the top teams had mixed fortunes. Penalke could only draw with Shoe on Tuesday but rattled in six without reply at Junction on Saturday. College St Helens were not in action on Tuesday but returned with a 5-1 win over Nutgrove on Saturday. That rounded off a miserable week for Nutgrove who went down 3-2 at home to Gerard Arms on Thursday.

Eccleston Utd had a midweek 4-2 home win over Old Congs and an Ian Hughes double gave them a 2-1 win at Rainford North End on Saturday.

Elsewhere in the Star Premier Division Billinge maintained their bid for honours with a 4-2 home win over East Sutton Labour and Carr Mill pipped Old Congs 1-0.

In Division One, Clock Face scored a 2-1 win at Prescot Leisure Res in midweek only to go down by the same score at home to Cowley Hill Park on Saturday. After a shaky start Rifle are now going along nicely and they followed up a 5-0 midweek drubbing of Hammer FC with a 2-0 success over Gerard Arms Res who had also gone down 5-0 at Travellers Rest on the Tuesday.

Better news for the Gerard Arms first team though as they defeated Earlestown 4-0 on Saturday in the semi-final of the DH Griffiths Cup.

In the Sunday Division's Hatton Travel Cup, Sutton Heath Panthers defeated Owens Corning 3-2 to book a place in the final on May 6 with their oppoents to come from either York, 6-2 victors over East Sutton Labour, or Penlake who slammed Ex-Services Utd 8-0.

Meanwhile, East Sutton Labour have been presented with the new Sunday Division Championship Trophy sponsored by John Pennington & Family.

This Thursday's open-age Inter League Group 1 game against Blackburn has been cancelled due to the resignation of the latter from the competition.

That means the Combination qualify for a home tie in the semi-finals but lack of a suitable venue might force them to concede home advantage. RESULTS

Thursday, April 19

Lancashire County FA u/18s Inter-League Final: St Helens Combination 2 South Lancs Counties 6.

Star Premier Division: Nutgrove 2 Gerard Arms 3.

Division One: Hammer 2 Earlestown 6.

Division Two: Pilks A 3 Bull & Dog 1.

Saturday, April 21

Star Premier Division: Billinge 4 East Sutton Lab 2, College St Helens 5 Nutgrove 1, Junction 0 Penlake 6, Rainford NE 1 Eccleston Utd 2, Carr Mill 1 Old Congs 0.

Division One: Clock Face M 1 Cowley Hill Park 2, Rifle 2 Gerard Arms Res 0, Prescot Leis Res 4 Billinge Res 6, Hammer 1 Carborundum 1.

Tom Worrall Cup semi-final: Sportsmans 2 Travellers Rest 1. Quarter Final: Leach Lane 3 Nogs Head 1.

DH Griffith Cup semi-final: Gerard Arms 4 Earlestown 0.

Sunday, April 22 Hatton Travel Cup 2nd round: Sutton Heath Panthers 3 Owens Corning 2, East Sutton Labour 2 York 6, Penlake 8 Ex-Services U 0.

FIXTURES

Thursday, April 26 (kick-off 6.30pm)

Star Premier Division: Gerard Arms v Old Congs.

Division One: Sportsmans v Travellers Rest, Earlestown v Broad Oak.

Division Two: Rainford NE Res v Bull & Dog, Ramford v Grosvenor Park.

Friday, April 27

Star Premier Division: College St Helens v Rainford NE.

Saturday, April 28

Division One: Hammer v Billnge Res.

Sunday, April 29

Hatton Travel Cup semi-final: Penlake v York.

Sunday Division: East Sutton Lab v Owens Corning, Bold Miners v Ex-Services Utd.

Tuesday, May 1 (kick-off 6.30pm)

Star Premier Division: Carr Mill v Shoe FC, Olds Congs v Penlake, Sidac Social v College St Helens, Junction FC v Eccleston Utd, Billinge v Gerard Arms.

Division One: Hammer FC v Clock Face M, Earlestown v Gerard Arms Res, Carborundum v Sportsmans, Rifle v Travellers Rest, Cowley Hill Park v Prescot Leis Res.

Division Two: Rainford NE Res v Ramford, Pilks A v Owls Nest.

Tom Worrall Cup semi-final (kick-off 6.15pm): Leach Lane v Grosvenor Park.