Aspull 11 West Park 8 DESTINED almost certainly to be the bridesmaid yet again, West Park must win all their remaining league games and rely on main rivals Aldwinians losing two.
Playing on a quagmire, Park allowed lowly Aspull to dominate the game territorially and showed their frustration in indiscipline conceding hard-won ground by infringing and compounding the offence by dissent.
Steve Bailey's first penalty for Aspull came from dissent resulting in a 10-metre addition from which the goalkick was easier. Park were 3-0 down at the interval and without prop Scott Goodfellow. And scrummaging became evenm more difficult when Park's other prop Neil Atherton had to go off leaving Phil Houlton, a flanker, but with a limited experience in the front now to hold the fort.
Aspull winger Tony Barton scored in the corner after the Park defence was wrong footed and unable to change direction in the mud. Martin Strett reduced the deficit with a penalty and a glimmer of hope appeared as after good drives and penetration into the home defence by Tongan Harmon Tuavao, Mark Potter popped up at outside centre to send Paul Bailey over in the corner to bring the scores level at 8-8. As the heavy pitch took toll the game stuttered in stop-start fashion until Bailey's second penalty gave Aspull the lead a Strett kick which hit the upright just about summed up a 'bad day at the office' for West Park.
Next Sunday Park have a chance to salvage something by making progress in the Lancs Trophy at Birchfield's expense, the game kicking off at 2.30pm.
Other Saturday Scores: Sefton 2nd 8 West Park 2nd 9, West Park 3rd 48 St Marys OB 2nd nil, St Marys OB 3rd 7 West Park 4th 69.
Sunday Results: West Park under 11s at home to Sedgley Park won 20-10.
West Park under 13s at Waterloo won 36-10.
West Park under 16s at home to Sedgley Park lost 18-28.
West Park Colts 46 Eccles Colts 7
Inspired by utility forward Paul Arnold who was captain for the day, Park Colts returned to winning ways defeating a determined Eccles outfit. Half backs Darren Wilson and Gareth Fishwick each scoring a brace of tries.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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