Vale of Lune 19-17 West Park St Helens

As the game entered the final quarter the Vale trailed 17-5 but suddenly, as if a switch had been flicked, the Vale came roaring back into contention.

Ben Dorrington, Andy Powers, Sam Wallbank, Jack Ayrton, Dan Baines and Jack Ferguson were the chief standard bearers as others rallied to the colours being struck.

The Vale were visibly fired up and this newly forged steel was personified in a galumphing, wrecking ball charge from lock Adam Foxcroft who flattened his would be tackler with a thump that echoed round the ground.

In the 65th minute, with the pressure building on West Park, scrum half Billy Swarbrick once again showed an eagle eye for the smallest of gaps with another low level swoop for a try, converted by Tom Slater with a superb kick.

And then, in the 74th minute, West Park were softened up on the left flank, Adam Foxcroft was driven towards the line, drawing players in, and when the ball was transferred quickly crossfield gaps stated to appear.

Lock Tom Cvijanovic showed a quick turn of speed when he received the ball and his single minded sprint took him through the cover for a try, converted by Slater to secure the victory.

After a respectful two minutes Armistice silence, the Vale opened the scoring. Fergus Owens collected a perfect cross kick from Slater to catch West Park ball watching in the right hand corner for an unconverted try, Slater’s kick hit an upright but bounced harmlessly away.

The threat from West Park was ever present and in the fourth minute of added time at the end of the first half, West Park took the lead.

A slick passing movement opened up the Vale’s defence and prop Kurt Riley received the ball to score, stand off Lee Rosney converted.

West Park’s barometer continued to rise after eight minutes of the second half had elapsed.

A sweeping counter attack had the Vale scurrying to plug the gaps eventually they ran out of sand bags and off went number eight Matthew Potter for a solo unconverted try.

A dancing run from winger Josh Ainsworth, aided and abetted by full back, John Pope, then exposed some indifferent Vale tackling in what had been an untidy half for the home side.

In the 61st minute West Park’s lock forward, Lewis Harris, purloined the ball from an offside position but there was no blast from the referee’s whistle and he set off on 50 metre metre dash for an unconverted try.

The manner of such a score could have deflated any side but it just acted as a wake up call for the Vale, who drew on their reserves to fashion a most improbable outcome.