LISKEARD-LOOE ended Helston’s 12-match winning run with a superb team performance at Lux Park.

The visitors headed up from West Cornwall sitting second in the table and still with designs of catching leaders Camborne Seconds, but it was the hosts, who saw a return to action for veterans Yestin Hutchings, Kieran Underhill and James Noel-Johnson, that secured four valuable points.

The Lions only took a bare 15 to Falmouth last Saturday, but had a full 19 available this time around, and put the visitors under tremendous pressure in the early stages. On seven minutes, Liskeard No.8 Adam Dack crossed the whitewash out wide for an unconverted try for a 5-0 lead.

In the 18th minute Liskeard doubled their advantage. After being awarded a penalty inside the Helston 22, a ruck was soon set up and the ball was released to the backs and swift hands quickly got the ball out to the left wing where the returning James Rogers crashed over in the corner. Noel-Johnson’s excellent kick from the touchline made it 12-0.

The visitors did pull one back on the half-hour via Jack Sherratt, but the Lions led 12-5 at the break.

It had been a very good half for the Lions who had played with tempo and accurate passing, that had seen them outplay Helston. The Liskeard pack had also outscrummaged the visitors, drawing several penalties in the process.

The tempo was kept up during the second half, but it wasn’t until the 70th minute that the next points were on the board. This came about when Liskeard were awarded a penalty that Noel-Johnson slotted to further increase the lead.

At the restart, an excellent break down the middle of the park by flanker Andy Rowe was instrumental in setting up a ruck deep inside Helston territory where the ball was quickly secured and released to the backs. A clever pinpoint cross-kick by fly-half Callum Beaver found full-back Kieran Underhill in space and he crossed for an unconverted try to make the score 20-5.

Almost immediately, Helston hit back with a converted try from Heydon Dark which was improved by Tomos Townsend, and in stoppage time the Blues grabbed another unconverted try through Leo Armstrong-Lever to secure a losing bonus-point before their clash at fourth-placed Bude on Saturday.

Every Liskeard player had played well and the man-of-the-match, as adjudged by club stalwart Chris Sobey, named both Rogers and Noel-Johnson as joint recipients.

The view from the touchline was that it was a great game of rugby where the Lions had played with a tempo that the Helston side couldn’t quite match and were worthy winners on a day where the club thanked their sponsors with a post-match buffet.

The next fixture is this coming Saturday, and instead of a league fixture is a Cornwall Clubs Cup quarter-final clash at Lux Park against Newquay Hornets with a kick-off time yet to be decided.

As ever, the club and players would appreciate any support.

LISKEARD-LOOE: Kieran Underhill; Alex Kendall, Jack Badnall, James Noel-Johnson, James Rogers; Callum Beaver, Jay Mason; Ben Palmer, Archie Doidge (capt), Jack Wilton; Dan Lethbridge, Yestin Hutchings; Andy Rowe, Will Hoskin, Adam Dack. Replacements: Oscar Mortimer, Will Gouge, Billy Warner, Mike McCarthy.

Tries: Dack, Rogers, Underhill; Convs: Noel-Johnson; Pens: Noel-Johnson.

Lions’ man-of-the-match: James Rogers/James Noel-Johnson.