LUKE GODDARD will take his Whitchurch Alport side to St Helens Town this weekend looking to extend a winning sequence that began in November.

Carl Everall’s second-half blockbuster earned the Reds a 10th straight win to really crank up the pressure on Litherland Remyca, who have been sat in second place in the First Division for nigh on five months.

As it stands – and with Litherland having no game on Saturday – Goddard’s boys are a point behind with a game in hand, so a win at Ruskin Drive will guarantee them second spot if Remy fail to beat Alsager in midweek.

There’s still a long way to go, with 19 league matches to squeeze in between now and May 5.

But it’s not just Whitchurch who will be left with a gruelling run-in, and with rotten weather scheduled for the short term, it’s unquestionably going to throw up a few results that will raise one or two eyebrows, as the business end to the season looms ever closer.

Goddard conceded his team weren’t at their fluent best at the Stockport Sports Village, but knows he has assembled a squad who work hard for each other and who have a togetherness that’s integral to their current run of form.

“I thought we lacked quality on the ball at times on what was a difficult 3G surface,” said the Reds boss.

“Stockport were one of the favourites for the league at the start of the season and they proved they’re a good side and could be our toughest match this month.

“They probably started better than us over 20 minutes or so but gradually we came more into the game, even though there weren’t many chances in that first half.

“But I thought in the second half we could have scored more than one goal with the missed chances and, of course, the missed penalty.

“They may feel hard done by because it’s only 1-0 but over the 90 minutes I thought we were good value for the three points, even though we didn’t play as well as we can.”

Goddard was thrilled with yet another clean sheet with Alport boasting one of the best records in the country defensively.

“I’m a little bit old-fashioned in some respects like that but they’re great foundations to build on if you can stay defensively tight,” he said.

“We had a predominantly young back four again but we do defend from the front with Ben and Simon and also the midfield two especially.

“We try to limit the opportunities to our opponents and in the odd times they do get through, they still have to beat a very experienced goalkeeper in Ready, who’s having a fantastic season.”

Town striker Ben Halfacre was limited to the odd half chance and aerially, young Ryan Thomas was outstanding against one of the division’s top goalscorers.