ST HELENS Town travelled to the Cheshire County FA ground to face tricky opponents Hartford FC - and they grabbed a late winner to maintain an unbeaten start to the season.

Luke Diggle and Charlie Leech returned to the starting line up in the only changes from the previous week's home win over Maine Road.

Town started much as they finished last week and were in charge from the off but were unable to find the finishing touch.

Marc Gibson's powerful header would rebound off the cross bar and that was the closest Town would come in a first half that would end with a breakaway goal for Hartford with Dickinson putting the Cheshire men ahead.

The second half would see a Town onslaught that saw them misss two penalties and Charlie Simpson head against the cross bar.

In fact the Hartford stat man confirmed post match that Town would have 11 shots on target.

It took until the 70th minute for Town to equalise when Max Buckley Benbow headed home a Charlie Leech corner to set up a grandstand finish.

Time and again Town were thwarted by the outstanding goalkeeping of Cox in the Hartford goal and just as it seemed that time would run out for Town, Paul Piert's call to employ young centre back Jake Sant as a makeshift centre forward in the closing exchanges would pay off.

Sant rose to head a Buckley Benbow cross against the Hartford woodwork and as the ball bounced out, player of the match Ryan Cook swooped to head the ball home and grab a 93rd minute winner - 2-1 for Town.

As Cook celebrated he was enthusiastically embraced by an away section of over 40 travelling Town fans who had been in fine voice all afternoon.

As they prepared to travel home in convoy along the M6, the phrase 'never write off the Saints' was mentioned more than once in the adjoining cricket club that hosted the post match hospitality as this young Town team are starting to carve out a reputation for relentlessly chasing results.

Town are next in action away to Wigan Town in a midweek game on Wednesday 2 October. Kick off time to be announced.