WINNINGTON Park will feel as though they should have done better after losing their first home game of the season 36-27 to Firwood Waterloo.

The hosts held 15-3 and 27-10 leads at various stages but conceded 26 unanswered points in the final quarter on a very hot afternoon at Burrows Hill.

Park, who started with a couple of new faces in debutants Alex De Keyzer, James Weeks and Luke Westgate, capitalised on a Waterloo sin-binning when captain James Johnson took a quick penalty in the visitors’ 22 and powered over in the 11th minute, with Benny Elliot adding the extras.

Waterloo indiscipline again at a breakdown gave Park a penalty 30 metres out and Charlie Hyde took a quick tap, kicked through and chased to pick up the ball and score another solo effort.

A 24th-minute Elliot penalty pushed the lead to 15-3 after 24 minutes but the last points of the first half came from a Waterloo counter attack from a Park clearance and a few missed tackles leading to a converted try.

That score was cancelled out two minutes into the new half after Elliot chipped over the FW backline and after two further kicks forward by Hyde, won the race to touch down and convert.

On 50 minutes Park won a scrum just inside the Waterloo 10m and Cameron Flanagan showed a bit of magic with a pick up and dash on the short side and chipping over the defence to regather and score for a further seven points.

It was then that Park shot themselves in the foot.

Some indiscipline brought a penalty, a further 10 metres for back chat and a couple of minutes later a yellow card for a high tackle by Jake Cornwell in a period in which Park also lost Dan Williams to injury.

Firwood capitalised with a converted try from close range to take them within 10 points.

A combination of the penalty count, the one-man disadvantage and the heat took its toll and Waterloo scored an unconverted try on 64 minutes to close the gap to 27-22.

The visitors continued to pressure Park with strong defence and attack and struck again on 70 minutes with a converted try from close range to take the lead after being behind for 60 minutes.

With only 10 minutes to go Park were holding their ground but could not convert possession into points.

Waterloo sealed the win on 78 minutes with their final converted try.

Park (15-1): James Weeks, Roan Cornwell, Charlie Hyde, Tom Merrick, Alex De Keyzer, Benny Elliot, Cameron Flanagan, Tom King, Jake Cornwell, Daniel Gregory, Frank Gibbons, Gary Dykes, Dan Williams, Ben Thorn, James Johnson. Replacements: Bruce McGrogan, Kieran Taylor, Luke Westgate.