LAST Saturday the Lions welcomed Plymouth rugby club OPM to Lux Park for the first time in a number of years.

Liskeard had several players unavailable because of injuries, work commitments, and family commitments holidays, although the Lions were able to field a full squad.

They were forced to select a number of players out of position and handing newly registered prop, Ashley Evans, his debut from the bench.

The match also saw the return of Fijian Timoci Naita after a break of a couple of years. The return of Adam Dack, who was back from an injury sustained last season, saw him being restored to the number eight berth. There was also a first appearance of the season for Mike Prowse from the bench.

The first thirty minutes saw both sides try hard to obtain dominance, until the first score on the thirty minute mark.

This came about when the Lions managed to get close to the visitor’s try line, with a combination of threes and forwards set up a ruck halfway between the posts and right touchline from where young flanker, Will Hoskin, dove over for a try. Unfortunately the conversion sailed past the left hand upright.

The visitors came back at the home side and with a flowing move and good handling scored a try in the fortieth minute which was converted to make it 5-7 at the break. It was a half where both sides tried to play open rugby despite the wet weather with a few mistakes from both teams.

The next points came in the forty-fifth minute when the visitors were able to score a converted try to increase their lead. The next fifteen minutes saw both sides teams striving to obtain points, until the sixtieth minute when they scored their third try, the conversion attempt was charged down.

There was to be no further scoring despite both sides striving hard. The Liskeard man of the match award was presented to acting captain Andy Rowe for his all-round display from the back row.

Despite playing some good rugby at times Liskeard struggled to find fluency but there were strong performances from Will Hoskin and Adam Dack.

As this coming Saturday is a blank week, the next game for the Lions is on Saturday, October 4 with the visit of Bude to Lux Park, this will have a kick off time of 3pm. Later in the month, Liskeard-Looe will visit Wadebridge Camels on October 11 and host St Just on October 18.

The season so far has seen the Lions defeat bottom side Launceston Castles on the opening day of the season, before suffering a 27-0 loss to Newquay Hornets.

LISKEARD-LOOE: T J Hicks, James Martyn, Jack Wilton, Billy Warner, James Swallow, Will Hoskin, Andy Rowe, Adam Dack, Greg Gillbard, Mike McCarthy, Sean Simmons, Will Cameron, Timoci Naita, Alex Kendall, James Noel-Johnson.

Replacements: Mike Prowse, Ashley Evans, Josh Husband.

Tries: Will Hoskin.

OPM: Mylo Connell, Darren Ewers, Sonny Rowe, Mark Hardie, Billy Garratt, Tom Sunderland, Alex Jewell, Tom Hughes, Will Mills, Pete Regan, Callum Morgan, Matt Smale, Keith Pascoe, Will Varley, Fred Smale.

Replacements: Alex Farley, George Paviour-Coward, Dominic Derrick.

Tries: Fred Smale, Will Varley, George Paviour-Coward.