Ashton on Mersey 14

West Park 19

WEST Park's failure to win promotion last season was almost exclusively as a result of away defeats by supposedly weaker opposition.

And with 10 minutes left at Ashton on Saturday league leaders, West Park's first defeat of the season looked distinctly possible.

Despite having dominated the game territorially, spending almost all but 10 minutes iPark trailed 14-11.

Victory was snatched with a Mark Potter try in the corner and a last minute Fletcher penalty both from scoring positions set up by blockbusting tackles by Park's Tongan centre Harmon Tuavao who had come on for Phil Lawrenson.

A second half try by Chris Glynn created by a 30-yard run by Park number eight, Steve Bibby, along with prop Steve Mannion, Parks best performers gave them a 11-9 lead 18 minutes into the second half cancelled out by a try by outstanding Ashton forward Nick Avery and set up the final late scoring burst which gave West Park the points.

With difficult away games still to come, this failure to turn clear line-out and territorial superiority into a convincing victory over the league newcomers gives Park's selectors a headache.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.