SIMON'S SEVEN, ENDS RUN OF EIGHT

LIVERPOOL S.H.  21   VALE OF LUNE  7

Visits made to Moss Lane over the years have always provided the opportunity for budding Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby's to brush up their detection skills. This time it was new power showers, last season fairy cakes in the President's Lounge and security shutters in the clubhouse. A few years ago a spanking new stand had been erected; it is doubtful that even D.S Jones or Culley would have missed this! Next year Liverpool St Helens will be celebrating their 150th anniversary; Salvador Dali, eat your heart out.
The intrepid duo of sleuths from 'Midsomer Murders' would certainly have clocked L.S.H's modus operandi straight from kick off, even the bumbling Inspector Clouseau might have had an inkling of what was going on when he had finished wandering around the clubhouse and chatting up the bar staff.

A large pack squeezed the Vale and as the pips flew out, stand off Simon Worsley's immaculate boot did the rest. Exhibit 'A' M'Lud! By the twenty second minute the home side had established a 12-0 lead and were off down the road with the bag of swag firmly in their grasp. A try from Malcolm Fowler with eight minutes remaining, converted by Andrew Garnett did little to alter the unfolding pattern, as Worsley reminded the Vale with his fifth penalty of the half.

L.S.H. knew which side their bread was buttered so it was much of the same throughout the second half. Despite the poundings in the tight the Vale remained resolute in the tackling department, both around the fringes and out wide. Under so much pressure penalties are almost certain to be conceded at close quarters, it tends to come with the territory, but little slipped through. When L.S.H opted to move the ball wide they found the Vale equally vigilant. Man of the Match, Alistair Richards, on his debut, pulled of a try saving tackle on his opposite number by the corner flag. As the players untangled themselves Ashley Stuart sportingly tapped the young winger on the shoulder to acknowledge his efforts, no effing and blinding, just an honest admission of a job well done.

Eventually the Vale's defences were breached in the seventy third minute when Worsley kicked a penalty from in front. Vale refused to give up, they tried to run the ball at every opportunity but either in possession was lost or the ball was knocked on. In the sixth minute of injury time Worsley rounded off the scoring with his seventh penalty, thus ending Vale's unbeaten league run of eight games which stretched back to January 28, when L.S.H lowered their colours at Moss Lane.

Although it was a huge disappointment to lose the record there were a number of plus points. The tackling was much improved on the previous week, as was the line out, but unfortunately the hoary old chestnut of a good big one beating a good little one, had on the day, a ring of credibility about it.

Skipper Neil Bennetts decreed a comfort break on the journey home. A large group of well turned out players jumped off the coach to sample a slice of Garstang's Saturday Night Fever, while the Alies went in search of something quieter. Ensconced on the lawn outside 'The Wheatsheaf' on a warm evening 'Rumpole of the Bailey' waxed lyrical. 'I never forget' he said. Oh dear!

VALE OF LUNE J.Payne, A.Richards, A.Garnett, I.Bird, J.Curran, N.Bennetts (Capt), M.Walker, P.Jackson, D.Schuyler, D.Halliwell, L.Farnworth, J.Knox (Rep A Cowey 60), I.Turton (Rep G.Barton 63), G.Darwen, M.Fowler.

Manof the Match  -  Alistair Richards