WINNINGTON Park suffered defeat on the road on Saturday – but thoughts immediately turned to one of their players who had suffered a serious injury.

Four minutes into the second half of the clash with De La Salle, flanker Gary Dykes went down with a serious dislocated knee.

His knee was put back into place on the field, but the game was stopped for a 20-minute period to allow for Dykes to be comforted and transported to hospital and he now faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The game was scoreless at that point and the hosts eventually ran out 17-11 winners, putting an end to Park’s three-match winning run.

The visitors had plenty of opportunities to score before the break, including a penalty in the first minute that went wide, but they could not breach the home defence.

They did find the first score when play resumed after Dykes’ injury, but Chris Twigg’s penalty was soon cancelled out when De La Salle kicked a goal of their own.

The home side then capitalised on several Park errors to roll up the field and score a try from close range, with the conversion added to put them 10-6 up.

Twigg reduced the arrears with another penalty six minutes later, but it failed to spark his side into life.

Park continued to make errors and it cost them a further try to put them 11 points behind with just 10 minutes remaining.

They did, however, pull a try back when a good kick got them into a promising position and the ball was passed out wide for Lee Allmark to cross.

However, De La Salle held on for what was their first victory of the campaign.

Park are now not scheduled for action until Saturday, October 23, when they welcome Bolton to Burrows Hill.