ASKED to show pride with survival seemingly out of reach, Winnington delivered one of their best displays of the season.

However it was not enough to avoid defeat, their 10th from the past 11 matches.

“The first 40 minutes were our best for a long time,” said coach Roger Pickering.

“We showed desire while defending, and wanted to keep it going in the second half.”

Already forced to reshuffle before kick-off after Jack Williams hurt his back, the hosts were disrupted further when Lee Allmark, playing at scrum-half, had to be replaced at the interval.

They reached it 12-3 ahead.

Simon Mason’s penalty established an initial lead for the visitors, although it did not last long.

Danny Williams, switched to an unfamiliar role at centre alongside Joe Robins, raced to the line to score after a series of impressive phases.

Chris Sheppard’s penalty kick, sent deep into opposition territory, preceded a lineout from that led to captain Harry Stubbs bulldozing over the hosts’ second try.

Sheppard’s duly added the extras.

Dave Neary came off the bench to replace Allmark, joining fellow teenagers Josh Brown and debutant Will Anderson, for the second period.

Brown was next to be forced off with an injury, prompting Pickering to juggle the line-up further.

His charges lost momentum, and Joe Loxham – following a break by Phil Brocken – side-stepped the final defender to reduce Anselmians’ arrears.

Mason converted to make it 12-10.

Their opponents responded, and Craig Lamb chased a kick before gathering the ball and registering a third Park try.

Harry O’Loughlin spun away from the base of a scrum to send in Brocken from short range before a penalty from Mason secured a win for his side despite a rally late on by Winnington, who had lost 52-15 at Liverpool St Helens in midweek.

Park | Marshall, Brown, Ridgway, Moriarty, Dave Cross, Lapniewski, Underdown, Stubbs, Allmark, Sheppard, Anderson, Robins, Danny Williams, Lamb, Gibbins Replacements Taylor, Neary, Gareth Williams Tries Danny Williams, Stubbs, Lamb Con Sheppard