Winnington Park 7 Northwich 32

THE good news for Winnington Park is that they won’t have to play their neighbours again this season.

The bad is they still haven’t beaten Northwich in a league game.

They arrived at Burrows Hill only two points adrift of Blacks in the table, but by the end of a one-sided first half – during which the visitors scored three tries en route to establishing a 25-0 lead – the distance between the two teams felt further.

Winnington were put under pressure in every department, and wilted.

Sam Naylor, Northwich’s player-coach, had promised beforehand his team would be on the front foot.

He practiced what he preached too, winning a race to reach Joel Barber’s chip forward to touch down the contest’s first try.

By then, Blacks were already ahead after James Underhill kicked a fifth-minute penalty.

A hush fell over spectators on the sidelines, formed perhaps by a sense of foreboding.

They were right to worry.

Jack Watts, after receiving Sione Tangi’s pass, burst through Park’s defence to notch a second try for Northwich midway through the opening period.

Underhill added the extras and, when he slotted another three-pointer after half an hour, Blacks led 18-0.

Worse was to follow for Winnington, starved of ball to supply skipper Harry Stubbs by their opponents’ fiercely-disciplined front row.

This time Joel Barber, raiding from full-back, sprinted clear to claim a third try that as good as ended the contest before the break.

Underhill’s reliable right boot increased his personal points tally to 10 from the conversion.

Park, backed by the wind and buoyed by the introduction of Will Burgess at the interval, were more durable in the second period.

For the first time, they forced mistakes by Northwich.

And they earned a reward for that enterprise after an hour, Shaun Underdown barging his way over from close range.

Fraser Lindsay’s conversion offered a glimmer of hope.

But it did not get chance to grow.

Northwich scored next, securing a bonus point as a reward, when Grayson Thyne applied the finishing touch to a move that featured a decisive charge from scrum-half Michael Gallimore.

Underhill kicked successfully to make it 32-7, making certain a fourth successive win for Northwich in all competitions.

They did not need Richard Dale, match-winner when the teams met in October, who watched on in his wellies after succumbing to a groin injury.

In contrast Park, who missed injured Jack Williams at fly-half, have lost all but one of their matches to date in 2015.

Park Ridgway, Evans, Underdown, Dave Cross, Alston, Dykes, Williams, Stubbs, Matt Cross, Heptinstall, Lamb, Lindsay, Reeks, Owen, Allmark Replacements Burgess, Lapniewski, Moran Try Underdown Con Lindsay

Northwich Thompson, Brotherton, Tangi, Smith, Gavin, James, Thyne, Watts, Gallimore, Underhill, Jones, Naylor, Houghton, Simes, Barber Replacements Cairns, Kania, Harrison Tries Naylor, Watts, Barber, Thyne Cons Underhill (3) Pens Underhill (2)