Holker Old Boys 3, Kirkham & Wesham 4

But manager Mick Fuller had mixed emotions after saying:"It was a poor performance defensively but conditions didn't help, but the bottom line is we won and three points was what today was all about."

Thankfully Kirkham came through the game without any injury worries and had the luxury of seeing a number of fringe players back from injury and for Martin Savigar his first full game of the season the day was capped with a 25 yard thunderbolt that at the time put the visitors 3-1 ahead.

Having impressed in pre-season the former Bamber Bridge star injured an ankle which required surgery and has only just returned to action.

His strike looked to have wrapped up the points for Kirkham but 60 seconds later Holker got back into the contest with a second headed goal in six minutes from striker Paul Southward when he headed in a left wing corner unopposed.

Ritchie Allen steadied the Kirkham nerves in the final minute with a goal of pure class but seconds later and in time added on, Holker were awarded a penalty after defender Jon Moffatt brought down Cullum Livingstone in the area.

Chris Squirrel tucked in the spot kick and for a tense few minutes the home side again threatened before the game ended with Kirkham moving back into second place in the table.

After a dull first-half in which nether side got to grips with the conditions, Sean Paterson opened the scoring with a 51st minute penalty after striker Mark Wane had been upended just inside the danger area.

And it was the Barrow based Kirkham striker who nailed the home side again 15 minutes later when he turned in a pass from Ritchie Allen after good work by Wane had split the Holker defence apart.

For Paterson the day had started with him being thrown the captain's armband in recognition of his return to action in his home town and the fact that 24 hours later he would be celebrating his 21st birthday.