TOWN came through this top five 'six pointer' with flying colours and closed the gap on leaders Fleetwood and in doing so put an end to Colne's 16 match unbeaten run.

Star of the show was Craig Cunningham who scored one and made one against one of the meanest defences in the division and whose pedigree is notable having been FA Vase semi-finalists last season.

Dismissed

Sadly though, for the St Helens right wing livewire it was a day of mixed emotions as he was dismissed in the dying minutes for a second yellow card and joined eight others in referee Keates' notebook, giving a totally false impression of what was a good sporting contest.

Indeed Cunningham's first involvement was to go into the notebook as early as the sixth minute after being made the 'scapegoat' for one or two biting tackles which had occurred earlier and it put him on a 'tightrope' for the rest of the match.

It did not however, affect his eye catching display and he played his part in a tip top team effort which began with an opening goal in the 23rd minute when a fine save from Colne keeper Baxter produced a right wing corner kick which Fairbrother whipped in to perfection and Joe Gibiliru (Jnr.) stooped to head home at the near post.

At this point Town were wind assisted and Colne were content to keep it tight until their turn to use the elements and they must have been boosted when four Town players 'talked' themselves into yellow cards in the space of four minutes.

Once sanity returned it was Town's Nolan who was prominent in forcing Baxter into a decent save from a powerful free kick but just as the visitors were feeling content with their first half's work, they were flattened by a superb goal on 44 minutes.

It came about as Town cleared a left wing corner kick and a series of superb passes involving Jensen finally released Craig Cunningham at pace down the right and he burst fully 40 yards before hammering a low cross shot beyond Baxter's right hand.

Quality

This had a deflating effect on Colne's second half approach and with Town beginning to play some quality football into the wind the visitors never really looked like salvaging anything.

They did however almost reduce the arrears on 63 minutes when keeper Ross Baxter's clearance sailed 100 yards downwind and as the high bounce deceived Dahl, home hearts were in mouths as the ball drifted wide.

Dahl then had another escape when he raced out of his area only to clear to the feet of Colne's Steve Cunningham but the long range chip faded wide of the empty net.

These eccentricities apart, Town were looking very solid and began to impose themselves once more with some lovely interpassing.

And with ten minutes left they put the seal on things when a wonderful crossfield pass by Cunningham bisected three defenders and young Joe Gibiliru burst down the centre to round the keeper and slot home.

The last five minutes were eventful if not crucial to the outcome when firstly Cunningham was sent off after appearing to make a perfectly valid tackle, with Flood clearing the resultant free kick off the line.

Dahl also had to save well to preserve his clean sheet from Ingham but it was academic, three vital points were already in the bag.

This Saturday Town are at home again when Salford City come to Knowsley Road (3pm).