AFTER all the deliberations during the past 12 months about which league to play in, Liverpool St Helens, like most of the clubs in Lancashire, having opted for a more practical and appropriate set of fixtures for the club and its players, opened up last Saturday by entertaining Didsbury Toc H in the Lancashire Leagues ADM Premier Division.

Eighty minutes later they were left in absolutely no doubt about what faces them in the season ahead. Completely outplayed 29-55 by the Manchester outfit, particularly in the second half, they had no answer to the urgency, speed and desire of the visitors.

Looking decidedly undercooked on a return to league action and despite three first half tries, they failed to get a grip although the back row of John Arnold, Connor Thompson and Danny Webster worked hard all afternoon as did skipper Darren Wilson.

The first half was a frantic and entertaining affair with LSH scoring first through a Josh Lynch interception from the half way line almost immediately followed by a try from Didsbury Winger Rory Gibson. Alec McBride finished off a nice move to bag LSH’s second, cancelled out by a second try from Gibson who ran in another a few minutes later for his hat-trick to give the visitors a 14-19 lead. The ever reliable Matt Cunliffe then produced a solo effort just before half time to take LSH into the break, with Dan Filson registering his third conversion, 21-19 in front.

Dan Filson slotted a penalty shortly after the restart and what then followed was a procession of five tries from the visitors, only interrupted by a sending off for Dave Cunliffe, in an otherwise game of few penalties. LSH showed a glimpse of what might have been with a late rally, bring a try from Andrew Rawsthorne.

This Saturday LSH play Oldham at Moss Lane 3pm