A WEAKENED Lancaster outfit once again came home empty handed with a 38-10 reverse thanks to a slow start against Merseyside's Buccaneers.

Poor defence at Leyfield Road enabled the home side to make the perfect start with two tries in the space of the first few minutes.

Although a determined Lancaster squad, boosted by good runs from Simon Ledwick and Ben Burns, reduced the deficit to 8-6 after a Burns try converted by Andy Garnett, things went from bad to worse as the game wore on.

At the start of the second half Lancaster were stunned as what appeared to be a blatant forward pass by Liverpool was missed by the officials - and the Buccaneers crossed the whitewash twice in succession to make it 18-6 after just 46 minutes.

And though the Giant Axe outfit tried hard to fight back again it was the Liverpool team that crossed again after 55 minutes making it 24-6.

A Darren Clarke try reduced the deficit to 24-10 but Lancaster, tired by the heat and frustrated by the referee, ended up finishing the match with the score line a disappointing 38-10.

Lancaster were without previous try-scorers Rob Shaw and Dave McVernon, but the game provided an opportunity to test new signings Allan Tyson, from Kells, and local lad Neil Walker.

* LANCASTER will go into battle against Blackpool Sea Eagles at the Giant Axe on Saturday, kick off at 2.30pm.

The team hopes to be back to full strength in time for the game which will see the two pointless teams who share the dubious honour of being at the foot of the North West Conference league table fight it out in Lancashire's newest seaside 'derby'.