Winnington Park 15 Liverpool Collegiate 28

IF they didn’t realise before, Park’s players know now they’re in a battle for survival.

Even without a points-deduction for fielding an ineligible player – a sanction applied this week – they would occupy a place in the relegation zone.

They have a dozen games left to beat the drop.

“Our opponents wanted to win more than we did,” reflected head coach Roger Pickering.

“It was a totally lacklustre performance.”

Perhaps Park could learn from Liverpool Collegiate’s resurgence; after three successive wins, they have climbed from the table’s lower reaches.

They came from behind to win at Burrows Hill, where Winnington had won their past three matches, after vice-captain Fraser Lindsay had touched down for the home team.

It was his last scoring act for the club ahead of a switch to National League Rossendale.

However there was a sense that Park were forever chasing their opponents, and it took only five minutes for Collegiate to restore parity.

By the break they had added two further tries to lead 15-5.

Park had little to feel positive about, save for the return after long-term injury of prop Will Burgess and the combined endeavour of fellow front-rower Shaun Underdown and Dave Cross.

The hosts were brighter at the start of the second period, but paid for their impatience when they conceded a pair of avoidable penalties.

Hope remained they might still record a fourth straight win in front of their own supporters when wide man Nic Clawson, promoted from the second team, claimed a fine solo try.

He completed an impressive passage of play by succeeding in a foot-race to the line.

Another defensive error gifted to Liverpool a chance to score again, which they gratefully accepted.

Winnington rallied again, and Clawson was alert to pounce on a loose ball – notching his second score of the contest – after an opponent dropped Lindsay’s speculative kick to the corner.

It did not prove to be a catalyst.

Park’s task does not get any easier; they visit promotion-hopefuls LSH, victors in seven of their eight home matches to date this term, on Saturday.

Park Burgess, Evans, Underdown, Dave Cross, Brown, Treacy, Danny Williams, Stubbs, Matt Cross, Lindsay, Gibbons, Owen, Allmark, Lamb, Sheppard Replacements Ridgway, Robins, Clawson Tries Clawson (2), Lindsay