LIVERPOOL St Helens produced their best display of the season to beat long-time rivals Broughton Park and regain second spot in South Lancashire/Cheshire One. Games between the two sides are always keenly contested and this was no exception, with just one point between the teams at half time before LSH pulled away to win in the second half.

This was a day when the LSH pack really showed what they can do with an almost perfect performance at scrums, lineouts and in the loose, particularly with their driving mauls.

Consequently the home side had to make do with fractured possession and rely on their strong running backs on the counter attack.

LSH seized the initiative from the start when in the 4th minute a well-executed catch and drive and a swift dispatch led to centre Andrew Rawsthorne crashing through under the posts.

Dan Filson converted. This was followed ten minutes later with a try from hooker Chris Houlton following another strong catch and drive after LSH had chosen to kick a penalty to touch. Filson converted.

Broughton Park then enjoyed a good spell, pressuring the LSH line only to be initially denied until they too, scored from a catch and drive in the 27th minute. Two minutes later they scored again when breaking out of defence to run the ball all the way to the left hand corner to score before reducing the arrears even further with a penalty on the stroke of half time.

Both sides successfully landed penalties in the opening ten minutes of the second half and with the game evenly poised the Moss Lane travelling faithful held their breath.

They needn’t have worried as LSH responded magnificently, inspired as so often this season by their skipper, Darren Wilson.

The quick-witted scrum half scored from a tap penalty, earned after another catch and drive.

Filson converted. Prop Mark Fryer then scored a try for all the hard working forwards in the 65th minute touching down after they had again pushed the Broughton Park over their own line, to earn the bonus point.

Wilson then added another with six minutes left when he again caught everyone unawares by scooting around the blind side of a scrum to score by the right hand corner flag. Broughton Park continued to counter and grabbed a consolation try just before the close.

This week LSH are at home to Glossop 2.15 Kick off.