STEETON returned to winning ways as they held onto three points at home to South Liverpool yesterday in the North West Counties Football League First Division North.

After a frustrating 1-1 draw at home to Garstang in the league last Tuesday was followed by a last-gasp 2-1 defeat at Boldon CA in the FA Vase over the weekend,  Steeton were in need of a lift.

And they got it, as they recorded a deserved 2-1 win over their Merseyside visitors at Marley.

Dominant for large periods of the game, Roy Mason was again left frustrated by his side's failure to turn the number of chances created into more goals.

But despite a late penalty for the visitors, which resulted in a red card for goalkeeper James Catlow, the Chevrons managed to see the victory over the line.

The opening exchanges of the game were even as both sides looked to find their footing.

A moment of brilliance broke the deadlock and put the hosts in the lead in the 13th minute.

Louis Fialdini drifted wide on to the wing and produced a superb flick on to get the ball inside and at the feet of Mo Farhan Subhani.

Subhani proceeded to take one look up and play a 20-yard through ball behind the South Liverpool defensive line into the path of Jake Townsend.

Townsend wasted no time in taking a touch before composing himself to put the ball beneath the keeper and into the back of the net.

Now on the front foot, Steeton continued to drive towards the visitors goal with Jeremie Milambo and Raeece Ellington both seeing efforts go just wide of the post.

Townsend nearly found a second goal, as a cross from out wide appeared to be dipping just inside the far post, but Lucas Allan managed to tip the ball out for a corner.

And just before half-time, Manny Amole beat the offside trap but his strike on goal flew over the crossbar.

The second half, like the first, began with both sides looking to grow into the game.

Ten minutes into the half, Milambo received a yellow card as he brought down Ethan Van-Aston.

The decision to only award a yellow and not a red however raised the ire of Stephen Doyle, the South Liverpool midfielder protesting too much, as he was sent to the sin-bin for 10 minutes for dissent.

With a temporary man advantage, the Chevrons doubled their lead.

Just moments after Toby Jeffrey had fired over the bar from range, Townsend found himself free down the right wing and whipped a cross in towards the penalty spot.

The headed clearance from a South Liverpool defender fell to Josh McKiernon, who struck the ball with venom, putting his effort into the top corner from 25 yards out to register his first goal of the season.

With momentum behind them once more, Steeton continued to press but could not find a third goal to kill the contest.

Jordan Townend and Josh Coe, freshly introduced from the bench, were denied in quick succession.

Townend’s strike from range was spilled by the keeper, but he recovered to take possession as Coe closed in.

Mohamed Abdi struck the woodwork with an open goal in front of him as time appeared to be running out for the visitors.

Injury time however, presented them a chance.

After Milambo was penalised from handball, Van-Aston put the spot kick into the bottom corner.

In the process of trying to recover the ball for a quick restart, he was felled by Catlow.

The Steeton keeper, who had been booked moments before for timewasting, was shown a second yellow, resulting in outfielder Josh Walne finishing the game in goal.

And he was indebted to teammate Josh Kaine at the death, who proved the hero of the hour with a headed clearance off the line to prevent the visitors from taking a point home with them to Merseyside.

The contrast to two days earlier could not have been more stark, as Steeton exited the FA Vase in heartbreaking fashion at the first qualifying round stage against Boldon.

Despite dominating large periods of the game, and opening the scoring through a Louis Fialdini header, the Chevvies failed to turn chances into goals.

They were punished by an equaliser just before half-time, before the hosts progressed as a result of a penalty in the ninth minute of injury time.