WINNINGTON Park’s first defeat of the season was made more painful by the fact they had led comfortably at half-time.

Their hosts, hammered 88-0 by Tyldesley seven days earlier, recovered to claim an unexpected victory.

“It’s incredibly frustrating,” rued player-coach Ian Moriarty afterwards.

“We lost the composure that served us well before the break, something we have to learn from.”

There was no sign of what was to follow later when Ben Ridgway crossed in the corner for the visitors’ first try.

Wing Craig Lamb then ran in a second after catching an attempted clearance.

Port Sunlight applied pressure in response, exposing frailties they would exploit fully later on.

They fell further behind though when full-back Chris Sheppard, after Park had opted for a lineout rather than a penalty kick, dotted down out wide.

The hosts started a fight-back a minute after the interval when their fly-half broke through clear from the middle of the field before touching down.

Moriarty introduced himself to bolster Winnington’s defence, but Port Sunlight remained in control.

A second try followed when Park lost a scrum against the head, and the scores were level at 15-15 following a long-range penalty.

Ill-discipline crept into the away team’s game, and another three-pointer left them trailing for the first time on 66 minutes.

Weak tackling led to a fourth Sunlight score shortly afterwards.

Park rallied, and Dave Cross barged over from close range following a period of pressure close to the home team’s line.

Sheppard added the extras, but his side could not conjure a decisive score in the minutes that remained.

A home date with Heaton Moor, victors in each of their three matches so far, follows at Burrows Hill this Saturday.

Park | Ridgway, Brown, Snasdell, Dave Cross, Billington, Treacy, Kieran Williams, Danny Williams, Phillips, Flanagan, Lamb, Lewis Pickering, Morritt, Gibbins, Sheppard Replacements Moriarty, Evans, Robins Tries Ridgway, Lamb, Sheppard, Dave Cross Con Sheppard