Liverpool St Helens 14 Nottingham 25 LSH suffered their third home defeat of the season against a Nottingham team on a winning streak.

A changed home back division allowed the visitors an early try, when defensive slackness and lack of concentration contributed to the score by the alert Tom Reynolds. Chris Atkinson converted.

The homesters then settled down, and, although facing a bitterly cold gale force wind they took the game to Nottingham and after a short period of pressure, flanker Tim Wood swooped on a loose ball 22 metres out, and scored under the posts. Jim Salisbury converted.

Notts came back and following a series of rolling mauls, hooker Charlie Claydon scored to give the visitors a 12-7 lead.

LSH defended gamely and although Atkinson added a penalty, the Moss Laners must have felt reasonably optimistic to turn round 15-7 down with the prospect of playing the second half with the wind at their backs.

This optimism was tempered by the fact that Notts were totally dominant in the line out play, a department in which LSH have had serious problems all season. Apart from winning all their own throws in, Notts took most of LSH's and although there was no substantial difference in the size of the jumpers, the LSH throwing and lifting technique was woeful.

This naturally inhibited their kicking game.

Normally in such conditions the fly half would have kicked deep forcing the defence to concede the line out. This option is not on if you are losing your line out ball, and LSH, in the absence of skipper and play maker Brian Wellens, had no one to vary tactics.

The up and under, which would have caused havoc in the conditions, was not used, nor was the grubber, every ball was run and although Graham Close at fly half made several elusive runs, nothing came of them.

Nottingham scored twice early in the half, both resulting from forward pressure, and although Colin King pulled one back for LSH, it was too little too late.

LSH really have to sort out their line out problems, in what is such an important facet of the game. There is no lack of commitment in the side but repeated loss of their own line out ball, and a lack of direction when Brian Wellens does not play must exercise the minds of the coaching team quickly before a down table slide begins.

On Saturday LSH visit bottom club Morely and they must come home with the points.

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