Bowdon 22 Winnington Park 10

WINNINGTON are showing little sign of rising from a slumber that has set in since the start of the year.

After four defeats from their past five league matches, Park are in danger of letting slip a top four position they have occupied for the entire season.

Improving Bowdon are unbeaten on their own pitch in 2015, a record they protected after coming from behind to secure victory on Saturday.

Their guests made a promising start, with Fraser Lindsay denied a chance to reach his own chip and chase by an illegal block.

Conor Lapniewski took the resulting penalty quickly, driving over the line in the corner.

Lindsay kicked the conversion.

Bowdon replied with a well-worked try of their own, also converted.

A penalty punished Park’s ill-discipline to make it 10-7 before the hosts increased their lead when they exploited weak Winnington defending from the final attack of the opening period.

The visitors improved after the interval but that spell ended when a Bowdon prop burst through their defensive line, brushing off attempted tackles to score between the posts.

A conversion put them ahead by 22-7.

The men from Burrows Hill, missing captain Harry Stubbs but able to call on fly-half Jack Williams for the first time since Christmas after he recovered from an injury, applied pressure for the game’s remainder.

Bowdon’s defence stayed solid though, prompting shows of frustration from their opponents.

Lindsay then slotted a three-pointer with a quarter of an hour left before a last-gasp attempt to touch down faltered when a Park runner dropped the ball.

“We’ll need to be much better than that if we want to finish the season respectably,” rued the vice-captain afterwards.

Park Burgess, Ridgway, Underdown, Dave Cross, Alston, Dykes, Danny Williams, Lapniewski, Matt Cross, Jack Williams, Lamb, Lindsay, Allmark, Owen, Moran Replacements Skelley, Evans, Cannings Try Lapniewski Con Lindsay Pen Lindsay