Winnington Park 7 New Brighton 33

BEFORE the season started, Roger Pickering asked for patience while Winnington Park’s players adjusted to a change of style.

Nor did an opening-day derby success alter the head coach’s message.

They have lost five successive matches since, including a 33-7 reverse at home to New Brighton on Saturday – the first team’s worst run of results in the past three years.

Winnington Park - results and fixtures

Winnington Park 23-27 New Brighton - previous meeting at Burrows Hill

“The score doesn’t tell the story,” said Pickering.

“We were the better side in the second half, but couldn’t turn our dominance into points.

“That’s where we need to improve.”

Following a 41-7 defeat at Manchester seven days earlier, he saw the reaction he will have wanted during the opening quarter of an hour.

Park’s defence was organised, and they attacked positively.

New Brighton resisted, and scored the contest’s first try against the run of play on a maiden foray into the home team’s territory.

Jarrod Pickering was injured during the build-up, prompting a reshuffle.

Stand-in skipper Shaun Underdown attempted to spur his side, but they could not prevent the visitors – without a league win on their travels this term – to establish a 24-0 interval lead after adding two further tries and a penalty.

Winnington improved after the interval, applying pressure to their opponents.

Alex Snasdell was tireless, as was Dave Cross and Josh Brown, but most of their best work was in defence.

New Brighton slotted a penalty to increase their advantage, only for Park to reply when Cross burst through a gap in the away team’s defence to touch down between the posts.

Jack Williams added a conversion.

But a breakaway try by New Brighton ended any faint hopes of a Winnington recovery.

“We know where we need to improve if we want to make progress,” added Pickering.

He hopes to have senior players available again for a weekend trip to Isle of Man, where Park meet Douglas on Saturday, kick off 3pm.

Park Ridgway, Brown, Underdown, Gately, Alston, Snasdell, Danny Williams, Dave Cross, Jack Williams, Jarrod Pickering, Sheppard, Lamb, Lewis Pickering, Witter, Allmark Replacements Taylor, Glendinning, Evans Try Dave Cross Con Jack Williams