Liverpool St Helens 29 Sefton 3

A GAME which never really reached the heights saw Liverpool St Helens comfortably beat Sefton, running in four tries and one more for good measure – the value of which could become crucial next April.

Andy Northey has been unable to field the same backline this season and Saturday’s line-up was no different, featuring two new faces.

Dave Sutton came in at centre, playing his first game since the one appearance last season, and 17-year-old Danny Heslop made his first senior start on the left wing after benching earlier in the season.

They both made impact, scoring two tries each, giving young Heslop in particular a game to remember under the watchful eye of his father Nigel Heslop, a Grand Slam winner with England in 1991.

In fact Heslop scored the opening try with his first touch of the ball in the second minute, receiving a well-timed pass from Dan Filson, before touching down in the right hand corner.

Sefton then worked into the game which although competitive, produced too many handling errors from both sides to become fluent.

LSH always looked more dangerous on the break and should have gone further ahead when Sutton, after an excellent break, failed to see the pacy Jake Hodson in acres of space on his left.

The centre soon made amends though when, in the 33rd minute after a solid catch and drive, he collected a pass to burst through the Sefton defensive line to score, converted by Filson.

As the half neared its close, Sefton, playing with a huge determination throughout but continually thwarted by a strong LSH defence, won a penalty when most of the LSH back line had strayed offside. It was duly landed.

There was still time however for Hodson to charge down a Sefton clearance kick and follow up to score and leave LSH 17-3 in front at the break.

LSH extended the lead after 49 minutes when a delightful move featuring Darren Wilson and Filson, growing comfortably into the number 10 role, passed to Sutton who scored with a 40-yard diagonal run. Filson converted.

Not a great deal happened in the last 30 minutes although both sides never stopped trying.

Then just as the Moss Lane Faithful were emptying the terraces to get a decent spec to watch the World Cup semi final, LSH launched a flowing move along the backline neatly finished off by Heslop, once again in the right hand corner.