WINNINGTON Park’s pragmatism earned for them a deserved victory last weekend after spirited hosts initially adapted better to the conditions.
A 16th successive league triumph, coupled with a surprise defeat for Aspull away to Wigan – who visit Burrows Hill on Saturday – felt significant for the visitors.
“We expected a difficult game and got one,” reflected head coach Matt Farr.
“Unfortunately we were below-par in the first-half, but changed our style of play to keep the ball with our forwards and that allowed us to pick up a very important win.”
They had trailed 10-0 at the break.
Chris Owen kicked a penalty to put Orrell ahead, although Winnington enjoyed a dominant spell afterwards.
They thought it had yielded a try following a drive to the whitewash from a lineout, only for the referee to rule they had been held up.
Instead they fell further behind shortly before the interval when a break from defence by the hosts ended with wing Matt Johnson, making his first-team debut, touching down in the corner after evading an attempted tackle.
Owen added the extras.
Winnington had work to do, and they improved in the second-half playing down a slope.
They were thwarted in a similar fashion to the opening period following another drive after a lineout, but continued to apply pressure.
A reward followed five minutes later when Shaun Underdown crashed over following a pick-and-drive at an attacking scrum.
Cameron Flanagan kicked a conversion.
The men from Burrows Hill had to be patient after that, and only got their noses in front for a first time when Harry Stubbs drove over after tapping a penalty inside the final 10 minutes.
They settled the outcome with time running out when Stubbs doubled his personal tally at the end of another drive following a lineout.
Flanagan’s successful kick put Park out of the home team’s reach.
Park | Underdown, Robins, Eaves, Heale, Stubbs, Treacy, Glendinning, Dykes, Jack Williams, Flanagan, Brown, Johnson, Allmark, Moran, Sheppard Replacements Burgess, Fowler, Critchley, Snasdell, Matt Cross Tries Underdown, Stubbs (2) Cons Flanagan (2)
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