Hoylake 1st XV v LSH

Hoylake 36
LSH 47

After the disappointment of surrendering the lead with either the final or penultimate play in the last 3 league fixtures, the rapidly improving home side was hopeful of registering its long-overdue, first victory of the campaign. As it turned out, LSH were a very capable side who looked threatening on the break all day and never really looked like losing, despite another gritty performance by Hoylake.

Despite having the edge in the pack, the host's concentration was found wanting on 3 or 4 key occasions which gave LSH needless opportunities to cross the whitewash, which they gratefully and clinically accepted. Easily the best team we have played this season, it was credit to the Hoylake side that they kept coming back at the visitors and contributed hugely to a very entertaining game. It's not often that Hoylake score 6 tries and end up losing the match!

Please see LSH's very fair and accurate match report below for a blow by blow account of the game.

http://www.liverpoolsthelensrugby.co.uk/page13.html

Hoylake's back row and front five were again excellent with flanker Guy Byatt (pictured) taking the Man-of-the Match award. Also nice to see Conner Bradshaw and Danny Lewis registering classy late tries, proving that the backs offer plenty of threat in attack too, when trusted with the ball.

Despite the steady improvement being shown by the team, all at Hoylake realise that losing habit needs to be broken very, very quickly. Particularly with the likelihood that 4 teams will be relegated at the end of the season. Having said that, keep playing as we are doing, we will undoubtedly win our fair share of games after what has been an incredibly difficult start to the season, in terms of the difficult nature of our opening fixtures.

Next week, the 1st XV travel to Manchester to play a team in the bottom half of the league for the first time. However, we know from the corresponding fixture last season that Manchester at home, is a very difficult proposition indeed.