New Brighton 25 Winnington Park 10

NOT for the first time in recent weeks, spirit served to keep Winnington Park in a contest they started slowly.  

However they could not convert second-half pressure into points that might have prevented a seventh successive defeat on the road.

Whether Roger Pickering’s side survive in South Lancs/Cheshire Division On this season is likely to depend on results in their remaining matches at Burrows Hill.

Park conceded a try during the early exchanges on Saturday, when Jack Williams’ pass was intercepted by a New Brighton winger who touched down unopposed.

A second score, this time converted, followed after the visitors had again surrendered possession cheaply.

When a penalty from in front of the posts, awarded for offside, was converted the hosts lead was 15 points.

As they had done during a defeat against Manchester seven days earlier, Park rallied.

Jack Williams stylishly sent a three-pointer from distance between the sticks, a catalyst for his side’s best spell of the half.

But their possession in their opponents’ territory did not yield a try, and they fell 18-3 behind after a successful penalty at the other end.

Backed by a strong wind, Winnington applied pressure from the start of the second half.

New Brighton’s defence was resilient, despite having two players sent to the sin bin, although they were lucky a third didn’t follow when a maul collapsed as Park drove to the line.

A try did arrive when fit-again captain Harry Stubbs picked up the ball from the back of a scrum and barged over.

Williams’ conversion made it 18-10, and they created chances to close the gap further before they were left floored by a sucker punch when a rare foray forward by the hosts ended with a converted try.

“It’s hard to be consistent when you have to make so many changes,” reflected Pickering afterwards, referring to the fact five starters in his team were different from the 15 named a week earlier.

“But that’s been the story of our season so far.”

A trip to ninth-placed Sefton awaits next Saturday, kick off 2.15pm.

Park Burgess, Josh Brown, Underdown, Treacy, Dave Cross, Lamb, Danny Williams, Stubbs, Moran, Jack Williams, Jarrod Pickering, Lewis Pickering, Sheppard, Gibbins, Allmark Replacements Nick Brown, Johnson, Jones Try Stubbs Con Jack Williams Pen Jack Williams