AS the saying goes; it’s the hope that kills you.

Seven days earlier, Winnington Park dug deep to score a late try that secured a deserved victory against Douglas at Burrows Hill.

It did not cure their travel sickness.

They have now not won a league fixture outside Northwich since April.

With seven matches left, Roger Pickering’s side occupy a place in the relegation zone eight points from a position of safety.

An escape from there will have to be great.

A trip to back-markers Hoylake, incidentally the last away game out of town they ended as victors in South Lancs/Cheshire Division One on the final day of last season, should have been been taken optimistically.

And, after turning around only 6-0 adrift, they could still feel confident of recording back-to-back wins for the first time this term.

But it was not to be.

“It’s a familiar tale I’m afraid,” reflected chairman Terry Jones.

“We conceded too many penalties, and that ill-discipline cost us again.

“Three players received yellow cards, so we played pretty much the whole of the second half with 14 men – that makes life so much harder.”

Winnington return to action on Saturday week, March 5, when Glossop are their guests.

Anselmians, Sefton and neighbours Northwich are also to visit Burrows Hill before the end of the season.

Away days to Wigan and Bowdon represent head-to-heads against rivals in the bottom five.

But improved form from third-bottom Liverpool Collegiate, who beat promotion-hopefuls Liverpool St Helens 10 days ago, is a worry.

Jones added: “We’re running out of time, we know that.

“But we’re not relying on anybody else – we have to pick up the points we need first.”

And they need to quickly.