Match Preview

This weekend, after a week off, the 1st XV travel to Winnington Park for their last away game before Christmas.

Winnington Park were 6th last season in Lancashire/Cheshire 1, but were relegated from that division the year we were promoted to North One West. They spent two terms in South Lancashire/Cheshire 2, initially finishing 6th, but were champions in 2017-18, enabling them to return to the higher division.

Park are currently 8th in North Two West, having made a great start to the season in winning their first three games. In consecutive weeks, they accounted for Bolton, De La Salle and Eccles, but then embarked on an embarrassing run of seven straight defeats thereafter.

That run ended with a home defeat, 17-61, to Manchester, but they bounced back a fortnight ago in winning a close encounter in Cumbria against Aspatria. That single point win, 24-25, should be sufficient warning to Anselmians to be vigilant.

The winning heroics at home against Sefton and Tarleton were largely due to Saints' defence, and the key to those victories will certainly be tested away from Rivacre Road, especially against a partisan crowd and a team that seems to have has refound its form.