Changes too much for 2nds

SOUTHPORT seconds travelled to West Park seconds with a team selection was disrupted by a few enforced changes in the starting line-up on the morning of the game.

Most notable of these was club captain Col Toohey who in the space of two days changed position from No8 to second-row to finally stepping up to prop.

The home side started very strongly and slick in their offloading game which left the Southport rearguard exposed and conceding 21 points in the first half.

This could have been much worse had the scramble defence not held out on occasion and when Southport did work their way into the West Park half, Dave Atherton notched a couple of penalties to keep them in the encounter.

And with the half drawing to a close, skipper Andy Boland gathered the ball in his own half and raced down the line, taking on the wing. With one man to beat, Boland chipped over the oncoming full-back and took him on in a sprint which saw his opponent kicking the ball dead to give Southport a five metre scrum.

A great forward drive from the pack saw the ball pop out of the scrum where Boland picked up and dived for the line to score a try which went unconverted but left the first half scoreboard reading a more promising West Park 21 Southport 11.

Southport upped their game in the second half. Their forwards took the ball on before it found its way to Dave Atherton, who spotted the space out wide and with a long looping pass found Bill Mulholland on the wing. He got the ball to the line and despite being held up managed to flick the ball back to Atherton to dive over to score the next try which he duly converted. He then added another penalty.

Sadly this was the end for Southport scoring points as tiredness set in, and West Park with their plentiful reserve bench had more in them to score some well worked tries.

The seconds are at home this Saturday against Fleetwood seconds.