The Ridge suffered a three goal defeat to FC St Helens.

With injuries continuing to batter the squad and defensive errors, it was a disappointing evening all round.

However, it was an unchanged XI from the side that overcame Padiham at the weekend.

St Helens began brightly, as Joe Barker established himself early.

The forward got the other side of his man before rolling his effort just wide after 7 minutes.

However Town fought back, as Rio Alston won a corner after beating his man down the left.

Morgan Homson-Smith curled it into Ben Trafford whose header flew wide of the target.

Another massive chance would then go begging for the hosts, as Barker nodded a free kick into the path of Will Bell who volleyed over.

Town then took their turn attacking again, as Ben Fletcher picked our Anderton brilliantly on the far side.

The winger turned back and fired it into the danger zone, only for it to be headed out to Jordan Dainty.

The attacker hit it first time but it fizzed wide of the far post.

Anderton then received the game's first booking for a very late tackle on Ethan Van-Aston.

Alston then received it before flicking it past his man first time and pinging it down the line to the advancing Dainty.

Dainty then pulled it back across goal into the path of Luke Smith who, with the goal gaping, just got it wrong and rolled his foot over the ball as it bobbled towards him, falling onto it.

The hosts then managed to clear before Barker found himself in behind moments later.

The forward sent it over the bar under the pressure of Mitch Marshall.

Kier Barry was then required to make the game's first save as he palmed away a 20 yard effort from James Flight.

Thomas McNamara then rolled one wide of the goal from the edge of the box as St Helens began to gather momentum.

Which then paid off, as the hosts broke the deadlock.

Following a defensive mix-up, Flight pressured a clearance into the path of Barker who, this time, made no mistake.

Barker then almost doubled his side's lead in stoppage time as he found himself in on goal way too easily.

He lobbed it over the advancing Barry only to see it canon back off the crossbar.

Just a few seconds into the second 45, Connor Spiers struck the crossbar again for St Helens, as he placed one onto the top right of the woodwork from 25 yards out.

Longridge looked for an equaliser.

Anderton went down under the challenge of Louis Sharp near the corner flag.

Homson-Smith's delivery was headed out to Leighton Hewitt whose effort deflected behind for a corner.

Homson-Smith delivered again but only found a St Helens defender who cleared.

It then took just three minutes for the hosts to double their lead, as a Sharp cross went all the way through to substitute Thomas Smith who poked it into the top left corner.

To make matter worse, Anderton then pulled up.

Ashcroft's went to his bench to replace Jack with Ethan Edmundson.

Whilst he was at it, he brought on Gary Basterfield in place of Ryan McLean.

Marshall raced down the right before sliding it into Dainty who played it back to Mitch with a lovely turn backheel but the defender could only fire over.

Mitch did however then make a goal saving challenge back up the other end moments later to deny St Helens another.

However, it would all be meaningless as substitute Josh Hall capitalised on another defensive mishap, to fire it into the empty net, making it three.

The referee then deemed it fit to add seven minutes on.

In the final minute of stoppage time, Luke Smith seemingly made a reckless challenge in the Town corner flag where St Helens were holding the ball hostage.

The hosts reacted and tempers flared.

After all was said and done, Smith saw red.

Town played out the final two seconds with ten men as the referee blowed full time immediately after.

A disappointing result but the boys will look to make things right on Saturday when they travel to Chadderton.

A reminder that, that game kicks off at 4pm and takes place at Avro FC's ground.

A massive thank you to those that joined us tonight.

The Teams:

St Helens: McClenaghan, Sharp, Carnell (Hill 68'), Bell, Cuthbert, Van-Aston, Flight (Dutton-Kay 70'), Spiers, McNamara (Hall 65'), Barker (Montero 70')

Longridge: Barry, Hewitt, Trafford, Marshall, McLean (Basterfield 65'), Fletcher, Anderton (Edmundson 65'), Smith, Dainty, Alston, Homson-Smith

The Goals:

St Helens: Barker (41'), Smith (63'), Hall (85')

Longridge: N/A