SCORPIONS built up a commanding lead by half-time then, in the second half, did their best to lose the game with an awful display.

They had six regular first team players missing, but took the lead via a Chris Pearson penalty after two minutes. Then Dave Tanner put up a "bomb" which was fumbled by the Thatto full back and Tim Burns dived on the loose ball to score.

Skipper Steve Woodburn drove the ball in, turned his back, dummied to pass to an oncoming forward then turned and dived over under the posts. Pearson converted those two tries to make the score 14-0.

Australian forward Kenny Willich is getting better with every game and he made a storming run, and from the next play Gareth Chadwick jinked over.

Luke Valente was next on the scoresheet when a Gareth Chadwick pass put him through a gap in the defence to score.

Steve Woodburn was inspirational as he led the pack and he scored his second try from a planned move. Pearson converted the last two tries to make it 30-0 at half-time.

Shortly after the interval Thatto scored a try which everyone thought was just a consolation, as they had been outplayed in the first half.

Luke Valente scored his second shortly after to make it 34-4. This was the signal for the Scorpions to switch off and their play deteriorated from that moment as mistakes gifted their opponents possession which they hadn't had in the first half. They proceeded to run in four tries to pull the score back to 34-24.

Chris Pearson increased the lead when he took a short pass from Valente to score in the corner. But Thatto weren't finished and scored two more tries as the Scorpions were panicked into making mistakes.

Blackpool Scorpions 38 Thatto Heath 36

Scorpions "A" went down 12-15 when they travelled to Cadishead for their first game in four weeks. Carl Webster scored in the first half with Tony Green converting from the touchline. Green added another try in the second half which he also converted.

Scorpions Under-14s reached the quarter finals of the Lancashire Cup by winning 22-16 at Folly Lane. Tom Simpkins scored three tries -- his second hat-trick in as many weeks -- and Carl Reynolds got another. Carl Eastwood notched three conversions before the Swinton side hit back in the second half to produce a nail-biting finish.