Tries in the opening period from Jon Boatman and Tom Dixon had given West the lead and as the first half entered stoppage time everything was looking good. But the game turned in the minutes that followed and we never seemed to recover. Birkenhead kicker Dave Hall cut our lead to 12-11 with a penalty in the 4th minute of added time and with the game continuing we twice opted not to kick the ball out of play to bring the half-time whistle despite coming under pressure. Instead we kicked straight back to the Park runners and at the second time of asking a mazy run from Freeman Payne resulted in a try at the corner and looks of disbelief from all around Brinkburn. It was the sort of moment that has plagued us all season and one which certainly changed the course of this game.


Up until that point we had battled hard and probably would have just about deserved the lead at the break. Hall scored the first try for Birkenhead after 9 minutes, again the result of a poor clearance kick, and his penalty 4 minutes later extended the lead to 8 points.


Boatman's try came on 28 minutes, started from half way with strong running from Paul Moss and Andrew Davies before the number eight raced up the right touchline, fending off the last tackler to touch-down.


As we continued to press we took the lead on 36 minutes albeit in slightly bizarre circumstances. On the attack in the 22 the ball squirted out of the side of a ruck and Birkenhead looked to be off on a counter-attack. But Moss intercepted a pass and slipped the ball to Tom Dixon who battled his way to the line from 10 metres out. Moss added the conversion for a 12-8 lead.


From that point on nothing seemed to go well and although the second half didn't start that badly our two scoring opportunities early on were to be our last of the match. Davy Tighe broke free from the base of a ruck inside the Park 22 but his scoring pass to Andrew Davies couldn't be taken and with 10 minutes gone Moss had a penalty attempt drift past the right post.


From then on it was all Park. A quick lineout throw and kick and chase resulted in a try for Greg Hughes on 57 minutes and in the final 10 minutes tries from Payne and Ben Shepherd completed the rout.


Injuries and sin-binnings hardly helped the West cause. Adam Howard had to withdraw late in the first half and Davies and Jamie Connolly spent 10 minutes each in the bin, following Andrew Dixon's yellow before the break. Boatman was also injured in the closing stages leaving West to finish the game with a back-row of Liam Bailey, debutant Chris Young and winger Scott Butcher.


Adam Larkin made some good runs on his first-team debut and he looked to make something happen when he had the ball but most of his touches were runs from deep and despite making good ground we needed to get him the ball in more dangerous positions.


Next week sees the season complete with the rearranged visit of league leaders Morley. We certainly have nothing to lose but really need a decent performance to take something away from a disappointing year.


West: Larkin, Butcher, Hodgson, Connolly, Kerr, Moss, Tighe, Carr (Young), A Dixon, C Robinson, T Dixon, Davies, Howard (Stockdale), Bailey, Boatman.


Tries: J Boatman, T Dixon.

Con: Moss


Birkenhead Park: Handley, Hughes, Dodd, Payne, Hall, Scott, Lowry, Cassidy, Jones, O'Keefe, Blyth, Campbell, Palmer, Shepherd, Ibbotson.

Reps: Tyms, Chapman, McKeown


Tries: Hall, Payne 2, Hughes, ?, Shepherd.Cons: Hall 2
Pens: Hall 2

Referee: Andy Rawson [North Group]