Heysham Atoms 12
Shevington Sharks 54
Lancashire Cup preliminary round

THE Atoms' recent forays into the Lancashire Cup have proved fruitless and so it proved again on Saturday.

The First Division outfit Shevington Sharks played an expansive game that was pleasing to the eye and suited the immaculate Trimpell pitch.

The Atoms competed well in the middle but the game was won and lost on the edges where Shevington's speed and guile came through.

The Atoms had a fresh youthful look about the selected side but late withdrawals from Guy Richardson and Keith Hartlebury meant the old guard of Bryan Cambidge and Andy Helme were called in. Last season's captain Gary Lithgow made a guest appearance in the hooker role.

The opening exchanges were good for the Atoms completing four out of the first five possessions and putting on the necessary chase.

Shevington showed their intentions by kicking early, trying to put pressure on with their speedy outside backs.

Full-back Cambidge was being asked plenty of questions fielding some tricky kicks but was up for the challenge. Mark McIntyre had to pull off a try-saving tackle when Shevvy's scrum-half again kicked early on the third tackle.

The Atoms were holding onto the ball well but such was the kicking game from Shevington, it was all done at the wrong end.

The Atoms had to face a repeat set on their line before their wing-centre combination found an opening for the first score. The conversion was good, the first of an immaculate nine from nine kicks from the scrum-half.

On the 20-minute mark, the Atoms drew level when a set of sustained drives close to the line, headed by Mark Walker, gave an opportunity to Liam Hall.

The big prop knows his way to the line and he stretched out a long lever to place the ball on the whitewash, Billy Livingstone adding the conversion.

Josh O'Donnell and Dan Ginoccio came on and both were into the action immediately.

With 10 minutes remaining in the half, it was the Wigan side who took the game away from the Atoms as their right-hand defence was targeted.

Three quick tries were scored as the ball was pushed into wide areas, a sickening blow as offensively the Atoms had done well.

At 24-6 at half-time, the Atoms' troubles were further compounded when a score down the middle straight after the break, knocked any hope of a comeback.

The game was over as a contest five minutes later when a series of missed tackles gave the Wigan side a 30-point cushion.

McIntyre saved the Atoms again, kicking the ball dead, and the lively Callum Hall forced a couple of errors with his all-action style of play.

The Atoms began to play a little bit more off the cuff when in possession, finding some holes in the middle of the park. Ginoccio set up an attack after a strong run then Rob Shaw almost reached the line on the last.

Second-rower Shaw was finding holes in the defence and he made a 40-yard break before finding Billy Livingstone. The move continued with some neat inter-passing between Mike Holmes and Pete Livingstone which took play into the 20-metre.

Lithgow found Liam Hall on the next play before Andy Helme attacked the retreating defence wrong-footing the defenders and forcing his way between the posts for a well constructed try.

Livingstone added the extras.

At 36-12, the scoreboard had an air of respectability about it but this was blown away in the last 15 with two fortunate tries.

The first came from an intercepted pass and the second was from a knock-on that summed up the Atoms' defensive effort.

The last try was one to savour as the ball was transferred from one side to the other with some excellent handling and support play. Even last-ditch tackling from Holmes couldn't prevent the score and meant the Atoms' Lancashire Cup campaign was shelved for another season.

Heysham Atoms: Cambidge, Holmes, B Livingstone, Marrin, McIntyre, N Walker, Helme, L Hall, Lithgow, P Livingstone, C Hall, Harvey, MWalker.

Res: O'Donnell, Ginoccio, McVernon, Shaw.