Winnington Park 13 Sefton 24

THEIR neighbours aside, Winnington Park had not lost home and away this season to any other side before Sefton’s visit.

An error-strewn performance leaves them 11 points adrift of third place with four matches left, two of those against teams above them in the table.

“We’ll need to pick ourselves up,” said skipper Harry Stubbs, who watched from the sideline at Burrows Hill while serving a suspension following his dismissal last week.

“We missed tackles and wasted too many opportunities at the weekend.”

Sefton broke through during the early exchanges, making the most of a sustained period of pressure on Park’s defence to cross the whitewash unopposed.

Fraser Lindsay’s penalty reduced the hosts’ arrears, only for their guests to reply with a converted try following a turnover once the game had restarted.

It proved a spur for Winnington, who spent the remainder of the half in Sefton’s 22.

Dave Cross touched down following Lindsay’s brilliant break, the fly-half adding the extras.

They could not make the most of a numerical advantage after the visitors had two players sent to the sin bin, trailing 12-10 at the break.

Park toiled to gather momentum in the second half, too often not executing a final pass.

In defence they did not tackle cleanly, allowing their opponents to make up ground easily.

Sefton scored again, Lindsay replying with a three-pointer, before adding gloss to their victory with another try late on.

Park’s next game is at title favourites Altrincham Kersal, the only side to prevent Mark Warr’s men from scoring a point to date, on Saturday week.

Park Burgess, Robins, Underdown, Alston, Brown, Glendinning, Danny Williams, Dave Cross, Johnson, Lindsay, Lamb, Allmark, Owen, Cannings, Moran Replacements Ridgway, Pickering, Heptinstall Try Dave Cross Con Lindsay Pens Lindsay (2)