ANOTHER match after which Winnington Park emerged as emphatic victors.
Indeed they sauntered to the finish after a 20-minute spell before the interval took them out of New Brighton’s reach.
However this win is significant.
Their reward is to lift the Cheshire RFU Bowl for a third time, and can now forget falling short in last year’s final.
They perhaps gave a glimpse too into the future by giving higher-ranked opponents the run-around, quite literally at times, in the sunshine at Birkenhead Park.
Winnington Park's players show off the Cheshire RFU Bowl following a 38-21 victory against New Brighton in the final at Birkenhead Park on Monday
Matt Farr, Park’s head coach, had said beforehand that this competition had been close to the top of a list of priorities for his debut season in charge.
And he has delivered a brilliant double.
Park are already certain to be promoted as champions from South Lancs/Cheshire Division Two and, with one game to play, remain on course to do so by winning every game.
They prevailed in this one despite suffering an early blow when Brett Williams dotted down, and Joe Silcock converted.
It boosted New Brighton, at least initially, who had long since been condemned to relegation after losing 14 successive games.
Park responded, and Cameron Flanagan kicked a penalty.
They immediately looked more assured, and took the lead midway through the first-half when Matt Treacy dived over after an effective catch and drive from a lineout.
Silcock was off-target from successive penalty attempts, but they proved to be minor hold-ups as the traffic turned one way.
Park were faster in body and in mind, and Harry Stubbs applied the finishing touch to a swift break on the right after scrum-half Jack Williams tapped a penalty.
When Lee Allmark sprinted to the whitewash to score his side's third try, New Brighton’s resistance felt diminished.
Park’s captain Dave Cross limped off before the restart after sustaining a hamstring injury, but his teammates did not let up.
James Johnson was next to go over after Winnington again created an overlap, and this time Flanagan supplied a decisive pass.
It was scintillating, and their opponents simply had no answer.
The scene at Birkenhead Park on Monday afternoon during the second-half of the Cheshire RFU Bowl final between New Brighton and Winnington Park
New Brighton’s try-scorer was sent to the sin bin shortly after the interval, although Park did not add to their total during his absence.
When they did score again on the hour – another well-executed push to the whitewash after a lineout that ended with Stubbs grounding the ball – it felt decisive.
Silcock converted his own try at the other end as New Brighton rallied, although that momentum dissipated when one of their replacements was shown a yellow card for dissent.
Winnington, ruthless and clinical, made their extra man count when Sam Brookes looped a perfect pass to Pugh who scurried unopposed to the line.
Flanagan added the extras before kicking a penalty in added time.
In between, James Charlesworth dodged two attempts to stop him before notching New Brighton’s third try, also converted.
It narrowed a gap on the scoreboard, but a distance between the rivals on the pitch remained.
Park | Eaves, Evans, Underdown, Snowden, Dave Cross, Stubbs, Treacy, Dan Williams, Jack Williams, Flanagan, Pugh, Brookes, Johnson, Allmark, Sheppard Replacements Burgess, Hallworth, Clarke, Fowler, Moran, Dykes, Ryan Williams Tries Treacy, Stubbs (2), Allmark, Johnson, Pugh Con Flanagan Pens Flanagan (2)
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