Lions' run leaders close in Lux Park thriller

THE Lions pushed undefeated Helston all the way before eventually falling to defeat at Lux Park on Saturday.

Early Helston pressure ended with Decarlo Trerise going over with for an unconverted try, but Liskeard-Looe gradually worked their worked their way into the game and went ahead on 25 minutes as No.8 Adam Dack dotted down with full-back James Noel-Johnson knocking over the extras.

The Helston back division were incredibly dangerous, however they were repeatedly repulsed by the home side, whose pack was superior.

Noel-Johnson was soon yellow-carded, but it didn’t stop them going in front on 36 minutes as Dack picked up off the base of a scrum to go over. Skipper Callum Beaver knocked over the extras for 14-5.

However, shortly after it was the West Cornwall outfit that saw winger Rhys Williams cross the whitewash with Beaver sin-binned for his tackle attempt in the try.

The second half initially followed a similar pattern with the Helston backs dominant in the open, but it was hooker Leo Armstrong-Lever that put them in front.

They remained in the ascendancy for the next 10 minutes, but a determined home side came back into the game, culminating just after the hour with Dack feeding scrum-half Jay Mason to go in unopposed following a scrum for 19-all.

However, from there the Lions decided to kick at every opportunity which seemed to cost them, and the match-deciding try arrived 12 minutes from time as Williams crossed for his second.

The Lions’ visit St Austell Seconds on Saturday (2.30pm).

LISKEARD-LOOE: James Noel-Johnson; Kieran Knight, Jack Badnall, Ieuan Evans, James Rogers; Callum Beaver, Jay Mason; James Martyn, Cian Goldsmith, Jack Wilton; Yestin Hutchings, Oscar Mortimer; Ollie Dunn, Alex Kendall, Adam Dack. Replacements: Will Gouge, Jason Flitcroft, Dan Lethbridge, Mike McCarthy.

Tries: Dack (2); Mason, Convs: Noel-Johnson (2); Pens: N/A.

Lions’ man-of-the-match: Jack Wilton/Adam Dack.